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f 



The MAGICAL 
LAND Of NOOM 


by 

J@MINIIiW©TOILIUi 

with 

Sundry andMondry 
illustrations 

by the Author 




Published by 

P.F.VOLLAND COMPANY 

NEW YORK BOSTON TORONTO 

CHICAGO 



COPYRIGHT, 1922 


JOHN B. GRUELLE 
(All rights reserved.) 

COPYRIGHT GREAT BRITAIN, 1922 
Printed in U. S. A. 






SEP -5 1922 


Z Z - Z v5 ( 



CHAPTER PAGE 

I. Johnny and Janey Fly Away to the Moon i 

II. Johnny and Janey Meet the Strange Man 23 

III. Gran’ma and Gran’pa Fly After the Children 37 

IV. Enter the Magic Boxing Gloves, the Wolves and the Rubber 

River 49 

V. The Beautiful Girl Tells Her Strange Story 61 

VI. Now We Come to the Little Old Lady and Jingles’ Magic 

Whistle 1. 7 * 1 

VII. The Soft-Voiced Cow Meets the Witch and the Invisible Peo- 
ple 81 

VIII. Tiptoe, the Dancing Master, Uses His Magic Umbrella 97 

IX. Johnny and Janey Grow Very Tall and Have Some Strange 

Adventures hi 

X. The Tiptoe Brothers and the Slide Raft 121 

XI. Again We Meet the Princess, the Palace and the Magician 13 1 

XII. Gran’ma Tweaks Old Jingles’ Nose 142 

XIII. Everybody Goes Home 1 1 53 


DEDICATED TO 
DOROTHY MARY 
AND 

J. P. JUNIOR 



ILLUSTRATIONS 


Down, down, the Slide Raft sped, until it was going so fast that its occu- 
pants could not talk Frontispiece 

“ You just wait! I’ll catch you and pay you back! ”. ..... ... . . •«. ... . . 31 

The little Faun Boy caught up with the Strange Man, butting him with 
all his might • 44 

Gran’pa struck them right and left with his cane, but was finally knocked 
down .1. ....... .1. . . .: 50 

“ Did you open the Green Jar? ” the Beautiful Girl asked ...... 65 

“ It was in the year 339,700 that I talked to the Queer Horse and the 
Strange Man put me in the jar ” 72 

The Old Woman caught the Soft-Voiced Cow’s tail and began dragging 
her back ,.... 83 

“ I was forced to step into the Magic Umbrella ” 102 

The Soft-Voiced Cow jumped three feet in the air and started across the 
valley, kicking her heels and mooing ...... . 112 

Gran’ma, Janey and Mrs. Tiptoe rode in the Magic Umbrella and the 
men rode underneath 131 

Catching his long nose in her hands she gave it a tweak. 145 

“ There it is! ” David shouted. “ Guide the Flying Boat to the balcony 
at the right of the Palace! ” x 54 




CHAPTER I 

Johnny and Janey Fly Away to the Moon 

RAN’PA had finished building the 
chicken coop and he walked out in 
front of the house to speak to a 
neighbor. 

Johnny and Janey, who had 
been watching Gran’pa with such 
interest, grew tired of waiting for 
his return. 

“Let’s build a Flying Ma- 
chine,” Johnny said after a while. 
“Grand’pa has finished and will not need the boards that are 
left and we can find plenty of nails.” 



THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


■ ' ' ' ' H H- 

“Do you think we can build a Flying Machine 1 ?” asked 
Janey, delighted at the idea. 

“Easily!” Johnny told her. “Of course we can’t make 
one that will really fly, but we can pretend that it goes ’way 
up in the air.” 

“It will be loads of fun!” cried Janey, and she jumped 
up and down and smiled. 

So Johnny got an old box and nailed four or five boards 
to the sides for wings. 

“It should have a sail,” Janey said. 

“Yes, it needs a sail and a mast and a rudder,” replied 
Johnny. “Run in and ask Gran’ma for an old sheet to make 
the sail of, will you, Janey? I’ll be putting on a mast and 
the rudder.” 

When Janey came running back with an old sheet she 
cried, “I just thought! We must have something to start and 
stop the Flying Machine with, so Gran’ma gave me two empty 
spools. We can use them.” 







[12] 


JOHNNY AND JANEY FLY AWAY TO THE MOON 


- ■ ■ "" ■■ 

“Just the thing!” Johnny answered. “I’ll put them at 
the front of the box and label one ‘Start’ and the other 
‘Stop.’” 

“How can we guide the Flying Machine when we get to 
flying?” Janey asked. “When we make believe we’re flying, 
I mean.” 

“I’ve put only one nail in the rudder,” Johnny replied, 
“so that by pulling on these strings we can guide it. See?” 
And Johnny showed his sister how the board with only one 
nail in it turned from side to side as he pulled the strings. 

“Oh! That’s fine!” Janey exclaimed. “I’ll ask Gran’ma 
if we may have some lunch to take with us on our trip,” she 
added, as she ran into the house. 

When Janey came out with a tiny basket of lunch Johnny 
had marked “Polly Ann” on both sides of the box. He 
had fastened the sail made from the old sheet to a stick and 
run a string through a screw-eye, so that the sail could be 
raised or lowered whenever they might wish. 

“Let’s see!” Johnny mused. “Have we everything we 
need?” 

“Well, here are the wings, the rudder, the ‘Start’ and 
‘Stop’ spools and the sail,” Janey told him. “I think that 
is all, don’t you?” 

“All right, then, Sis! Put the lunch on one of the 
sails. No!” and Johnny hammered a nail on one side of 
the box, “hang the basket of lunch there and climb in. It’s 

[ 13 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


■* m - - ■ ■ "•'= »» 

going to be a tight squeeze for both of us. But it won’t take 
this Flying Machine long to get to Mars or Venus or the Moon, 
and we can get out and rest on some of the Stars if we get 
tired.” 

“Let’s go to the Moon first, and then to the Milky Way! ” 
Janey cried. 

“All right, if you are ready ! ” Johnny agreed, as he sat in 
the bottom of the box, in front of Janey. “Hold your hat, Sis, 
for here she goes!” 

And Johnny turned one of the spools in the front of the 
box. 

“Oh! isn’t the view grand from up here, Johnny!” Janey 
cried. “See, there is Gran’ma’s house ’way down below, and 
we are getting closer to the Moon all the time ! ” 

“Those are queer birds flying by, Sis,” said Johnny, who 
could make believe any way he liked. “Can you make out 
what they are 1 ?” 

“Yes,” Janey answered, as she looked at the chickens in 
the yard, “they are Eagles. See that beautiful big one with 
the red comb? That’s a Roc!” 



[ 14 ] 


JOHNNY AND JANEY FLY AWAY TO THE MOON 


“My, I wish this Flying Machine would really Fly!” 
Johnny said, a little later. “But it’s fun pretending any- 
way. Let’s get out at the next Star, Sis, and eat our lunch. 
I didn’t eat much breakfast and I’m hungry!” 

“All right, Brud!” said Janey, who wasn’t tired of the 
play either. “Wait a minute!” as Johnny started to climb 
out of the box. “You forgot to stop the Flying Machine.” 

“Well, I’ll bring it to a stop very slowly,” Johnny told 
her. “So that we won’t strike these mountain-tops and tip 
over! ” 

And he turned the “Stop” spool a fraction of an inch. 

Neither of the children was prepared for what followed. 

The Polly Ann shot up over the fence, suddenly, scatter- 
ing the startled chickens in all directions, and as Johnny and 
Janey crouched low in the box the familiar objects about the 
farm whizzed by them like bullets. 

“We are really going!” Janey gasped, as they sped up- 
ward. “I feel as if I’d like to jump!” 

At this Johnny caught his sister’s foot and held it tight. 

“Don’t look over the side until you get used to flying!” 
he cautioned her, very wisely. 

“Twist the other spool!” Janey told him. “I don’t like 
to be up so high. Everything seems so small.” 

Johnny gave the other spool a twist and the Flying Ma- 
chine swept ahead at twice its former speed. 

“You’re twisting the wrong spool!” Janey screamed. 

[ 15 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 

•H 8- ■ = „ .... ■ & +• 

“You must have been twisting the wrong one all the time, 
somehow. See, you’ve been twisting the one marked ‘Start.’” 

“Sure enough! That’s just what I did,” Johnny admitted. 
“Well, I’ll twist the other now.” 

The Flying Machine came to such a sudden halt that the 
children were almost thrown from the box, and the basket of 
lunch was whirled off its nail so suddenly that it flew straight 
ahead of the Flying Machine for nearly a hundred feet before 
it curved to the earth. 

The children watched it curve and circle as it fell. Then 
the paper came off and there was a regular shower of sand- 
wiches, doughnuts and small cakes. 

“Now, Mister! You be careful or we’ll never get back!” 
Janey cried as she clutched her brother tightly by the collar. 
“Send the Flying Machine down to the ground again, Johnny. 
Please do!” 

But the Flying Machine, when it stopped, hung suspended 
in the air although when Johnny gently twisted the “Start” 
spool and it started off again, it went in the opposite direction 
from the earth. 

“It won’t go down,” cried Johnny, as he brought the Fly- 
ing Machine to a stop again. “What shall we do?” 

‘Well, if it won’t go down, there’s nothing to do but go 
on!” Janey answered. “It’s all your fault for building the 
Flying Machine!” 

“Now, Sis, that isn’t fair!” cried Johnny. “You know 
[ 16 ] 


JOHNNY AND JANEY FLY AWAY TO THE MOON 


you suggested putting on the spools, and if we’d left them off 
we shouldn’t have started. What we should have thought of 
was something to make the Flying Machine go up or down as 
we wanted. Now it only goes ahead or stops.” 

“Try guiding it with the rudder,” Janey suggested. 

So Johnny twisted the “Start” spool, and as the Flying 
Machine started forward he pulled one of the rudder strings. 
The Flying Machine slowly turned and flew in a large circle. 

“We can’t do it! ” Janey cried, the tears coming to her eyes. 
“ We can’t make it go down as we want to! We’re only flying 
in a circle above Gran’ma’s farm. See ! Gran’ma and Gran’pa 
and a lot of other people are out looking at us ! ” 

Sure enough, so far below that they looked like tiny specks 
of dust, the children could see their grandparents and many 
of the neighbors watching them as they sailed. 

Johnny brought the Flying Machine to a stop directly over 
Gran’ma and Gran’pa and the neighbors, and they could hear 
Gran’pa calling to them quite distinctly. The children called 
back at the top of their voices, but they couldn’t make Gran’ma 
and Gran’pa hear. 

Johnny tried twisting first one spool and then the other, 
but this jerked the Flying Machine so violently that his sister 
objected. She said she would rather go on than stay just where 
they were, doing nothing. So the children took off their hats 
and waved farewell to the people below, and Johnny, twist- 
ing the “Start” spool gently at first, increased the speed until 

1 17 3 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


the Flying Machine sped along like a meteor, leaving the farm 
far below and behind. 

The different colors in the fields gave the Earth a sort of 
patchwork effect, but as the Flying Machine climbed higher 
and higher the yellows and greens and blues blended together 
until the Earth was more the color of an opal. In fact, the 
children now saw a continuous change of colors, ranging from 
a deep yellow to a bluish purple, with every now and then a 
speck of crimson as the sunlight glanced along a hill. 

“Isn’t it beautiful!” Janey cried. “I don’t feel as if I 
wished to jump any more, do you, Brud?” 

“No, I don’t feel like jumping,” her brother answered, 
and he stopped the Flying Machine so that he could see better. 
“Look, Sis, what causes that yellow blaze down there?” 

They both looked over the side of the Flying Machine and 
saw the Earth bathed in a sheen of gold, with here and there 
glimpses of brilliant purple showing. 

“Oh! I know what it is now! ” Janey cried, presently. “A 
thunder storm has just passed between us and the Earth and 
the sun is shining on the Clouds. Look! See the lightning?” 

A faint rumble came up to them as of someone rolling 
potatoes down a wooden trough, and a vivid streak of blue 
zig-zagged through the yellow of the clouds. 

“The purple we see is the Earth in shadow beneath the 
clouds,” Johnny concluded, after a while. 

The children watched the strange sight for a long time 
[ 18 ] 


JOHNNY AND JANEY FLY AWAY TO THE MOON 


. ■ - . . . 

before they decided to go on. Then they looked away for a 
moment, and when they looked back toward the Earth they 
could not find it at once. They had traveled so far that the 
Earth now seemed no larger than a bright Star, and but for 
the fact that it was almost beneath them they would never 
have recognized it at all. 

Lots of other Stars could be plainly seen now. The 
Moon had grown to an enormous size; in fact, it almost filled 
the sky behind them. The children were greatly surprised to 
see it. They had been watching the Stars in front of them 
and they had not once turned their heads the other way. 

“What is that?” Janey cried suddenly, as she grasped her 
brother’s arm and pulled one of the rudder strings so that the 
Flying Machine swung around to face the Moon. 



[ 19 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


•*« H ■ ■■■ ====== ■ ■ ■■■! ■- - — ■ 

Johnny was so startled at the wonderful sight that he gave 
the “Stop” spool a twist and brought the Flying Machine to 
a stop with a jerk. 

“ It must be the Moon ! ” said Johnny, in an awed voice, 
after he had looked at the enormous object in speechless 
amazement for fully five minutes. 

“It is the Moon, Brud!” Janey agreed. “See, there is the 
Man in the Moon’s face as plain as day, and there are moun- 
tains and valleys, too. See?” 

The Moon, seen from where the children viewed it, was of 
a pale bluish-greenish tint, except where the rays of the Sun 
slanted across the mountain peaks and into the deep valleys. 
It seemed to Johnny and Janey as though they were looking 
through beautiful blue-green glass down into a dark well; for 
wherever the Sun did not shine or was not reflected from the 
mountains into the valleys the Moon’s surface was black — so 
black that it made the rest of the Moon seem transparent. 
This seemed to the children very strange. 

“Say, Sis,” Johnny exclaimed, “this can’t be the Moon 
after all ! It must be some extra big Star.” 

“I believe it is the Moon,” said his sister, “for, you can 



[ 20 ] 


JOHNNY AND JANEY FLY AWAY TO THE MOON 


see the face of the Man in the Moon quite plainly. But it is 
a great deal larger than it usually is, and it doesn’t look quite 
as it does from the earth. But see! There are the Man’s eyes 
and nose and mouth.” 

“Yes, I see now,” Johnny admitted. “But it isn’t exactly 
the same view we have from the Earth.” 

“You are right, Johnny!” said Janey, after a moment. “It 
isn’t the same view. We must have passed to the other side 
of the Moon!” 

Johnny started the Flying 
Machine again and steered it 
toward the Moon. And as they 
whirled around the side of the 
Moon the part that resembled 
a man’s face twisted about un- 
til it disappeared. 

“I can’t tell whether we are 
getting closer to the Moon or not!” cried Johnny anxiously. 

Presently, however, they saw the face of the Man in the 
Moon coming around from the other side. 

“We must have made a complete circuit of the Moon,” 
Janey decided. “See, Johnny, the rudder is pulled over to 
one side ! That’s the reason ! ” 

Johnny pulled the rudder string until the Flying Machine 
was aimed right at the Moon, and they approached it at great 
speed. 



[21] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


“Slow up, Johnny!” Janey cried, when they could make 
out all the mountain tops and valleys very distinctly. “It 
feels too much as if we were falling when we go so fast.” 

So Johnny twisted the “ Start ” spool backwards until they 
were flying very slowly and seemed to be floating down toward 
the Moon’s surface as lightly as a feather. 

The Flying Machine still was headed directly toward the 
Moon, and this gave the children the impression that they 



were falling. But Johnny, by pulling the rudder about occa- 
sionally, steered the Flying Machine so that they landed 
among large mushrooms and queer ferns, instead of on the 
mountain tops or in the deep valleys they had seen on the 
other side of the Moon. 

For, although the children did not know this, they had 
passed around the side of the Moon that always faces the 
Earth and had alighted in the Magical Land of Noom. 


t 22 1 



CHAPTER II 

Johnny and Janey Meet the Strange Man 


B Y TWISTING the “Start” spool backward and for- 
ward Johnny had brought the Flying Machine to the 
Moon’s surface very gently, but by no twisting of 
rudder or the spools could he effect a landing except by head- 
ing the Flying Machine directly for the surface. It was in 
this manner that the machine came to rest, with the front of 
the box resting upon the surface of the Moon, and the rudder 
sticking up in the air. The children sat in the box as though 
they were tied there and were very much surprised to find that 
they did not fall to the ground. 

r 23 1 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


•H » — « ■ ■ ■ ' "" = &*• 

There they sat — directly facing the ground, with their 
backs to the sky. 

“Let’s get out and look around, Janey! This feels too 
fvtnny, sitting this way! ” And Johnny started to put his foot 
over the side of the box down to the Moon. 

“Wait a moment!” Janey cried as she caught her brother 
and held him. “We may tumble back into the sky if we get 
out of the Flying Machine ! ” 

“ I do not think we shall do that ! I had not thought of it, 
though!” Johnny mused. 

“One thing certain — it is a long fall to the farm.” 

Finally Janey cried, “I have it!” And she took off her 
slipper and held it out to the side of the box. Johnny watched 
her with much interest. 

“If the slipper falls to the ground, it is safe for us to get 
out!” she said as she dropped it. 

The slipper dropped very slowly to the ground. 

“It didn’t seem to want to go very much!” she said. 

“Try the other one,” Johnny suggested. 

The second slipper floated to the ground in the same 
manner, very slowly. 

This puzzled the children, and they were undecided just 
what to do until another idea struck Janey. “I’ll hold your 
hand while you climb out, so that if you start to fall up in 
the air, I can pull you back into the box ! ” she said. 


[ 24 ] 


JOHNNY AND JANEY MEET THE STRANGE MAN 


So while his sister held his hand Johnny stepped from the 
box to the surface of the Moon and straightened up. “Dear 
me!” he exclaimed. “You look funny sitting there, Janey. 
Climb out!” 

“How does it feel when you stand up, Johnny?” she 
asked. 

“Natural!” he replied. “Come on!” 

“I don’t like to!” Janey said, holding to the sides of the 
box. “It seems so queer.” 

At this Johnny pushed on the rudder of the Flying Machine 
and tipped the box over backward, so that his sister found 
herself sitting up in the box, while the box rested in a natural 
position upon the ground. 

“Oh!” Janey exclaimed, as she stood up beside Johnny. 
“ What a relief ! My legs are stiff and cramped.” 

When she stepped from the box Janey intended hopping 
up and down to straighten out the cramps, but when she 
jumped she rose in the air six or eight feet, and Johnny, spring- 
ing to catch his sister, who seemed about to fly off the Moon, 
gave such a spring he rose ten feet in the air and passed her. 

Both children settled slowly to the ground, and when they 
reached there they sat down and held to mushrooms. 

Johnny wiped the perspiration from his forehead. “My 
goodness! I thought we were both goners then,” he said. 

Presently they both laughed. “How silly we are! If we 
had only thought we wouldn’t have been scared a bit! ” 

[ 25 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


Johnny exclaimed. “The Moon is so much lighter than the 
earth the attraction of gravity is not so strong, and we natu- 
rally are lighter. Look at this, Sis!” he continued jumping 
up in the air and throwing his feet out in front of him, so 
that he took what in the water is called “A Seat in Congress.” 

“Be careful, Bud! ” Janey exclaimed anxiously. 

“We are safe,” said Johnny as he settled slowly to the 
ground, “and we can have barrels of fun doing stunts! 
Whee!” and he stamped both feet upon the ground and gave 
such a spring that he turned over and over in the air four or 
five times before he settled to the ground again. 

Janey could not see so much fun without being in it her- 
self, so she caught Johnny’s hand and they turned flip-flops 
and jumped up into the air and pretended they were swim- 
ming as they came down. They were having the best time of 
their lives. 

Then, seeing some giant mushrooms not far off, Johnny 
called to Janey and ran toward them. When about twenty 
feet away he leaped and s u 


up to the top of the tallest, 
feet high. Janey followed, 
jumped from one mushroc 
another. Sometimes the 
missed the jump, but this 


did not matter, as they 

settled to the ground easily and gently. 



[26] 


JOHNNY AND JANEY MEET THE STRANGE MAN 


Janey and Johnny played among the giant mushrooms for 
a long time, doing all sorts of tricks, and jumping around until 
they grew tired. 

As they sat under an immense fern, resting, Johnny said, 
“It’s too bad we lost the lunch, Sis. I’m beginning to feel 
hungry!” 

“I should like some of Granny’s doughnuts!” Janey said. 
“Let’s see if we can find any berries or fruit to eat. I’ve read 
that is the way all shipwrecked people do.” 

“Perhaps we shall have to live on 
mussels and clams,” said Johnny as 
he. arose. “Let’s find something! I 
could almost eat one of these 
mushrooms ! ” And Johnny 
broke off a piece of mushroom 
and held it towards Janey. 



[27] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


•> « . ■ ■ ■ 111 »*• 

Janey caught a whiff of the mushroom and said, “It smells 
good enough to eat ! ” 

Johnny smelt the piece he had in his hands and then took a 
tiny bite. 

“Be careful, Johnny! ” Janey warned. “You know Granny 
said there was really no way to tell whether a mushroom was a 
mushroom or a toad-stool, except by eating it, and if you ate it 
and it was poison it was a toad-stool, and if you ate it and it 
did not hurt you, it was a mushroom ! ” 

“Ummmmm!” Johnny exclaimed, when he had tasted the 
mushroom. “It’s fine, Janey!” and Johnny broke off another 
piece and ate it as if it had been cake. 

“I’ll wait and see if it poisons you first!” said Janey. 

Johnny picked off pieces of different mushrooms and tried 
them. “ They’re different, Janey! ” he cried. “ You’re missing 
it ! Try this piece ! It tastes of raspberry or blackberry, I can’t 
tell which!” 

Janey nibbled at the piece Johnny gave her and found the 
flavor excellent. She went to the mushroom from which 
Johnny had broken the piece and tore off a chunk as large 
as her head and began to eat it. The mushrooms were 
sweet and of different flavors, tasting just like cake. The 
children discovered that the old mushrooms which had turned 
brown were of chocolate or ginger flavor. 

“We can’t starve with all these goodies!” cried Johnny. 
“I feel as if I had just finished a Thanksgiving dinner!” 

[ 28 ] 


JOHNNY AND JANEY MEET THE STRANGE MAN 


Janey left Johnny sitting under one of the mushrooms and 
walked about to see if she could discover a spring, as the sweet 
mushrooms had made her very thirsty. 

Johnny had eaten so much it made him drowsy, and before 
Janey had gone far he was sound asleep. 

Janey passed under the mushrooms and giant ferns until 
she came to an open space in the center of which a spring 
bubbled up. 

Walking up to the spring, Janey was surprised to see no 
outlet for the water. It bubbled up just as water would bubble 
in a kettle when boiling, but this water felt very cold when 
she put her finger in it. 

Upon tasting the water Janey found it sour. “Lemon- 
ade!” she cried, and running to the side of the clearing she 
picked a large leaf and folded it for a cup. 

The lemonade was just sweet enough, and Janey drank 
two large leavesful. She was dipping in again when she 
heard a tread upon the grass behind her. 

“Oh, Johnny,” she cried, “I’ve found a spring of lemonade 
and it is lovely!” 

Then, as Johnny did not answer, she turned her head and 
saw a strange Man approaching her with upraised stick and 
a fierce frown upon his face. 

“Who said you might drink of my spring!” he shouted, 
quickening his walk to a hop and waving his arms in a threat- 
ening manner. 


[ 29 ] 


* 42 = 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


“I — I — I — did not know it was your spring!” the little 
girl answered, as she scrambled to her feet and dropped her 
leaf-cup. 

“Of course you didn’t! ” the Strange Man cried as he came 
up to her and caught her arm fiercely. “Of course you didn’t! 
Of course you didn’t!” 

And with that he raised his stick above his head as if to 
strike her. “ I’ll teach you to drink of my spring ! ” 

Janey screamed and pulled with all her might to get away, 
but the Strange Man held her tightly. 

Johnny, hearing his sister’s cry, came running through the 
ferns, and seeing the Strange Man about to hit Janey, he flew 
at him like a little tiger. When about eight feet from the 
Strange Man, Johnny, who was running at good speed, jumped 
through the air and landed upon the Strange Man’s back. The 
force of his dive carried himself and the Strange Man head 
over heels, knocked off the Strange Man’s tall hat and made 
him lose his hold upon Janey and the stick. 

Johnny was on top when they finally quit rolling and with 
all his might he pummeled the Strange Man about the head. 
The Strange Man’s long legs kicked through the air and he 
scratched at Johnny’s face with his long fingers. 

The Strange Man cried out for Johnny to quit, but Johnny, 
angry at the Strange Man’s treatment of his sister, managed 
to get his knees on the Strange Man’s arms, sat upon his chest 
and pounded him right and left. 

[ 30 ] 



You just wait! I’ll catch you and pay you back!” (page 31) 































JOHNNY AND JANEY MEET THE STRANGE MAN 


■ ■ ■= "■ ■ ■ 1 ■ • • •• • • • ■ ■ — 

“Say enough!” Johnny yelled. “Say enough! Say 
enough!” and Johnny caught hold of the Strange Man’s long 
hair and bumped his head upon the ground. 

Janey held her breath. It was the first time she had ever 
seen Johnny in a fight, for he was a quiet little fellow and 
always avoided a fight if it were possible. But now Johnny 
was very angry, and Janey felt sorry for the Strange Man. 

“Let him up, Johnny! He’s had enough! He says for 
you to quit! Let him up!” Janey cried. 

“Now, you keep back, Sis!” Johnny shouted, his eyes full 
of tears. “I’ll teach him to strike you! There! — There! Will 
you ever — There ! — do it again ? ” 

“No, I won’t! Honest!” the Strange Man cried, closing 
his eyes tight each time Johnny bumped his head on the 
ground. 

“All right! ” Johnny said as he got off of the Strange Man 
and stood back to see what he would do upon getting up from 
the ground. 

The Strange Man picked up his hat and stick without 
looking at Johnny, turned and walked across the clearing. 
When he had reached the other side he looked over his shoul- 
der, and shaking his stick at the children he cried, “You just 
wait! I’ll catch you and pay you back! You just wait!” 

Johnny, in spite of his sister’s attempt to hold him back, 
ran across the clearing after the Strange Man, who turned 
again and sped through the ferns like a deer. 

[ 31 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


, m , ' : ' — === — -8 M- 

When Johnny reached the edge of the clearing he stamped 
his feet upon the ground loudly. The Strange Man, thinking 
Johnny was close behind him, redoubled his efforts and catch- 
ing his foot in a vine went sprawling among the ferns. 

Johnny doubled up with laughter and Janey could not 
help joining in. 

“My! You surely can fight, Johnny!” she said admir- 
ingly. Janey put her arm around her brother’s neck and kissed 
him. 

“Ah shucks!” said Johnny, embarrassed, “I couldn’t stand 
to see him strike you Janey, but I don’t like to fight!” 

“Weren’t you mad though! You cried!” Janey went on. 

“That’s it!” Johnny exclaimed. “I get too angry and 
have to cry like a boo baby! That’s why I always get licked, 
because my eyes fill up with tears and I can’t see ! ” 

“Oh Johnny, I’ll bet you don’t always get licked, either! 
You can lick anyone I’ll bet, if you want to!” his sister said 
proudly. 

“Well of course I really don’t get licked every time!” 
Johnny admitted. Then, with a laugh, he added, “Because 
sometimes I can run faster than the other fellow and he doesn’t 
catch me ! ” 

“Of course it’s wrong to fight!” Janey said as they walked 
away in a different direction from the one taken by the 
Strange Man. “It always seems so useless, doesn’t 
it*?” 


[ 32 ] 


JOHNNY AND JANEY MEET THE STRANGE MAN 


•n a ■■ ■ - ■ — -■ ===== — . — . 

“Unless it’s something like this fight!” Johnny answered. 

“I guess I couldn’t have fought so well if I hadn’t been 
fighting for you! Did he hurt you much, Janey?” 

“He hurt me when he pinched my arm, but he didn’t hit 
me with the stick,” Janey said, as she showed Johnny the 
bruised place on her arm. 

“It’s a good thing I didn’t know of that bruise,” cried 
Johnny, “ while I had him down ! ” 

As they talked the children came to a path. They walked 
down it until they saw a queer little house made of sticks plas- 
tered together with mud and colored clay. 

“What a queer house!” the children cried. “Isn’t it 
small!” 

They walked up to the door and knocked. “Come in!” 
a voice called to them from within. 

So the children, pushing open the door, stepped inside. 

At first they could see nothing, for the door had swung shut 
behind them, but presently their 



[33] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


.+ 4 % .— : ... . — - ■ = g++. 

‘‘My! It’s dark!” Janey exclaimed. “Can’t we have a 
light!” 

The form across the room chuckled and Johnny reached 
behind him for the door-knob, so that he could let some light 
into the room. The door was locked ! 

When Johnny found this out he stepped in front of Janey. 
“Keep behind me, Sis!” he whispered. “This doesn’t seem 
safe!” 

At this moment something struck Johnny in the face and 
splashed all over. It took him so by surprise he staggered back- 
ward and stumbled over Janey, so that both the children fell 
to the floor. 

As he scrambled to his feet Johnny felt his arms caught and 
a rope whirled around and around his arms and legs, so that 
he could not move. 

A bright flame shot up from the fireplace and the children 
saw the Strange Man sitting there with a book across his knees. 
He had just thrown a powder in the fireplace and it burnt 
brightly. 

The Strange Man was the only one in the room except the 
children and he mumbled to himself as he read from the great 
book. Johnny looked at Janey and saw that she was tied in 
much the same manner as himself. 

“It’s the man who owns the Lemonade Spring,” cried Janey. 

“Say!” Johnny shouted. “You untie us and let us go, or 
we’ll have you arrested when we get out!” 

r 34 1 


JOHNNY AND JANEY MEET THE STRANGE MAN 

- ' ' "■■■■■ 

“You won’t get out!” the Strange Man told him. “I’ll 
see to that!” 

“Help!” Johnny shouted at the top of his voice, Janey 
joining him. 

“ Dear me ! ” the Strange Man exclaimed fretfully. “ How 
can you expect me to change you into animals when you make 
so much noise? You distract my mind from my reading, and 
I am trying to find just how to work the magic! ” 

“Is that a magic book?” Janey asked. 

“Of course!” the Strange Man replied. “And I have to 
memorize the magic song that I must sing when I puff the magic 
powder over you and change you into animals, and I can not 
think when you make so much noise ! ” 

“We’re sorry we drank your lemonade!” Janey said. 

“ I’m sorry I had a fight with you ! ” Johnny said. 

“Yes! I know you are,” the Strange Man cried, shaking 
his stick at them, “and I told you that I would get even with 
you! I am about to change you into pigs!” 

“Oh dear! I don’t care to be changed into a pig!” Janey 
cried. 

“ I don’t believe he can do it ! ” Johnny told her. 

“ Oh, don’t you ! ” the Strange Man hissed, as he put down 
the large book and came towards Johnny. “ I can easily change 
you into a cat, but I am learning the rhyme to change you into 
pigs and then I’ll show you! ” 

Janey began crying and Johnny said, “Don’t cry, Sis! 

[ 35 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 

*■ «, ======== :■■■ : . ...... -- == ' '■ " Htf 

He’s trying to fool you! He can’t change us into anything, it 
isn’t possible!” 

The Strange Man puffed some powder from a tiny bellows 
upon Johnny and began to sing. 

“A diddle daddle hunka dee, A chunka lunka diddle fee, 
Kerlike kerlunk kachunkapat, and so I change you to a cat ! ” 
“There! I guess you believe it possible now, don’t you?” 
the Strange Man said when he stopped singing. 

“ Meow ! ” said Johnny. “ Meow ! ” He had changed into 
a cat. 

“ Killikaluka, willyculoosa ! Now I change you to a boy! ” 
said the Strange Man, again puffing the powder upon Johnny, 
and changing him back to a boy. 

“What shall we do?” Janey cried. 

“You must keep still,” the Strange Man commanded, “or 
I can never change you to pigs ! ” 

“Let us keep yelling at the top of our lungs,” cried Johnny, 
“so that he can not study the rhyme to change us into pigs!” 

So the two children began yelling at the top of their voices, 
and the Strange Man grew so impatient he finally said, “Well, 
if you continue like that, I shall have to go outside and study, 
but it will be all the worse for you when I do change you to 
pigs, for I shan’t let you see a mud puddle for two years!” 

And as the children continued their cries, the Strange Man 
closed his book and went out by a back door. He stamped 
along the walk kicking the loose pebbles viciously. 

[ 36 ] 



CHAPTER III 

Gran’ma and Gran’pa Fly After the Children 


W HEN Gran’pa and Gran’ma saw the children fly 
over the fence they could scarcely believe their eyes. 
They shouted as loudly as possible for Janey and 
Johnny to come back. 

And when the children circled above the farm in their 
home-made Flying Machine, all the neighbors, hearing the 
cries of the two old people, came running over to the farm and 
watched the strange sight. 

When the home-made Flying Machine rapidly disappeared 
in the sky the two old people put their arms around each other 
and wept like children. 


[ 37 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


Of course there was nothing they could do, so they went 
into the house and sat down upon the old couch. 

“They were such good children!” Gran’ma sobbed. 

“They were always good children!” Gran’pa cried. “Oh 
dear! Oh dear!” 

All the rest of the day the old people thought of Janey and 
Johnny and wondered what had become of them. 

“ I wish we could go in search of them ! ” Gran’pa said. 

“Where did they get such a wonderful Flying Machine?” 
GrUn’ma asked as she wiped the tears from Gran’pa’s eyes and 
her own with her apron. 

“ They made it from an old box and some boards I had left 
after finishing my chicken coop!” Gran’pa told her. 

“Yes, I remember now!” Gran’ma said. “Janey came in 
and asked me for an old sheet for a sail, and for two spools. 
The spools, she said, would be the ‘Start’ and ‘Stop’ twisters 
for the flying machine!” 

“It’s funny they didn’t come back when we called to them! ” 
Gran’pa mused. “They always have minded so well!” 

“ I don’t believe they knew how to work the Flying Machine 
so that they could return to the earth!” Gran’ma replied. 
“Perhaps they did not think it would really fly and so neg- 
lected to put something on to send the machine down. I am 
sure that must have been the reason ! ” 

“It must have been!” Gran’pa mused. “But see here, 
why can’t we go after them and bring them back, 

I 381 


GRAN’MA AND GRAN ’PA FLY AFTER THE CHILDREN 


•- . 

Gran’ma! If the children could build a Flying Machine, I 
see no reason why I couldn’t build one! In fact,” Gran’pa 
continued, “I could build a better one, I’m sure!” 

“But how do we know where they have gone to?” Gran’ma 
asked. 

“We can easily find out!” Gran’pa said, as he walked to 
the door. “I will build my machine with many spools on it, 
and one spool we will mark ‘ Direction taken by the children ’ 
and the machine will follow them everywhere they have gone 
until we find them! The other spools can be labeled 'Stop/ 
‘Go,’ ‘Rise,’ ‘Lower,’ and anything else we can think of. We 
must be careful and have everything complete before we start! ” 

“It is six o’clock now,” Gran’pa added. “I should have it 
finished by eight or nine o’clock and we can start the first thing 
in the morning!” 

So Gran’pa took all his tools out in the back yard and began 
to work. 

Johnny had picked out the largest box around the place 
and all that Gran’pa could find were four little soap boxes; 
these he nailed together. 

A neighbor boy came over to watch Gran’pa, and when he 
heard what Gran’pa was building he said, “Gran’pa, why don’t 
you borrow my boat? I should be glad to let you have it, and 
you could put a sail on it and fix it up fine ! ” 

“ That will be great, Eddie ! ” Gran’pa said, “I’ll come right 
over and get it!” 


[39] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


*■>51 ================= ■■■ 1 ' 

So Gran’pa hitched up old Ned, and telling Gran’ma where 
he was going, he drove over to Eddie’s home and brought back 
the boat. 

It did not take Gran’pa long to make the wings on either 
side of the boat. He took all the spools he could find and 
nailed them around the front part. He made a rudder behind 
that could be turned in any direction. Gran’pa, when he had 
the boat completed, sat and thought a minute, then he went 
into the buggy shed and taking two lamps from an old surrey 
he trimmed the wicks, filled them with oil and fastened them 
on the sides of the boat. 

When he had everything to his liking, it was still daylight 
and he called Gran’ma to come out and see the new Flying 
Boat. 

“Do you think it will really go?” Gran’ma asked. 

“Jump in and let’s try it!” Gran’pa cried. 

So the two old people climbed into the boat and Gran’pa 
twisted one of the spools. The Flying Boat rose quietly in 
the air and flew about as Gran’pa twisted the spools or the 
rudder. 

“It is a success!” both cried as Gran’pa brought the boat 
back to the starting point. 

When they settled to the ground, Gran’ma ran into the 
house and came out with Gran’pa’s coat and hat. She had put 
on her best bonnet and shawl. She had Janey’s and Johnny’s 
coats and several sweaters with her. 


t 40 1 


GRAN’MA AND GRAN’PA FLY AFTER THE CHILDREN 
— = ■-.= ■ • =»♦• 

Gran’ma had prepared a large basket of food while Gran’pa 
had been working on the boat, so she told Gran’pa to get this 
while she filled a jar with water. 

“If we find them, the dears will be hungry and thirsty,” 
Gran’ma said, “and it is such a beautiful evening we might as 
well start now.” 

“You are right!” Gran’pa exclaimed. “We will start 
immediately ! ” 

Eddie had remained at home to eat his supper when 
Gran’pa went for the boat, and now he came running over just 
in time to see the Flying Boat rise from the ground and go 
sailing over the fences and trees. 

“I’ll take care of your place until you come back!” he 
yelled. 

And Gran’pa and Gran’ma, increasing the speed of the 
Flying Boat, were soon only a speck in the sky. 

When they had reached a great altitude, Gran’pa twisted 
the spool marked “Direction taken by the children” and the 
Flying Boat swooped down towards the earth until it was on 
a plane with the course taken by Janey and Johnny; then, as 
Gran’pa twisted the “Speed” spool, the Flying Boat whizzed 
through the air so fast that the wind screamed as it rushed in 
and out of the chinks in the wing boards. Gran’pa and 
Gran’ma saw the sun rise as they flew over the horizon. The 
side of the earth away from the sun was in darkness, so that 
when they flew higher it took on the appearance of a half moon. 

[«] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 



Gran’pa looked at his watch and said it was ten-thirty. 

“You take a wink of sleep, Gran’ma,” he said. “I’ll keep 
watch ! ” 

So Gran’ma rolled up in the blankets she had placed in 
the boat and was soon fast asleep. 

Gran’pa awakened her in about an hour to look at the 
Moon, which they were approaching at great speed. 

“They must have gone to the Moon!” Gran’ma cried. 
“No, they must have changed their course!” she added after 
a moment as the Flying Boat, following the course taken by 
the children, made the circuit of the Moon. 

But the Flying Boat soon flew directly at the Moon and 
the old folks knew the children must have made a landing 
there. 



GRAN'MA AND GRAN’PA FLY AFTER THE CHILDREN 


•** - - 1 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 

In fact, the Flying Boat soon landed near the Flying 
Machine that Johnny had made. 

“Here we are! ” Gran’pa cried, as he helped Gran’ma from 
the Flying Boat. “See where they have been sitting in the 
grass ! ” 

And Gran’ma and Gran’pa followed the children’s path in 
the grass until they came to the spring. There they saw the 
signs of Johnny’s fight. 

“It looks as though a struggle had taken place here!” cried 
Gran’pa. 

“Oh! Maybe wild beasts have eaten them up!” cried 
Gran’ma. 

“No! There are no signs of wild beasts!” Gran’pa replied. 
“ We should see their torn clothes about if that were the case ! 
See, their trail leads off this way!” 

Gran’pa and Gran’ma at last came to the tiny house of 
sticks and mud and heard the cries of the children inside. 

“Here we are! ” Gran’pa cried as he ran around the house. 

Gran’ma, lifting her skirts, followed, and when she turned 
the corner of the house she stopped in amazement beside 
Gran’pa. 

Back of the house the Strange Man was running in circles 
and dodging behind trees and bushes, now this way and now 
that, while right behind him came a Faun Boy with lowered 
head. They were so busy running they didn’t notice Gran’ma 
and Gran’pa. 


[43] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


And as the old couple watched the little Faun Boy caught 
up with the Strange Man and butting him with all his might, 
sent him flying through a bunch of ferns. 

Before the Strange Man could regain his feet the Faun 
Boy was upon him and sent him tumbling head-over-heels 
again. 

The Strange Man scrambled to his feet when the Faun Boy 
tripped over some vines and without looking behind him he 
circled about and ran for the house. 

As he reached the door, another Faun Boy rushed from the 
bushes and taking the Strange Man unawares, sent him flying 
back towards the first Faun Boy. 

“Those goats will butt him to pieces!” cried Gran’ma, as 
she ran after the Faun Boys and tried to shoo them away. 

The Faun Boys paid no attention to Gran’ma’ s shooing 
and continued to butt the Strange Man about between them 
until he scarcely had time to know from which side he was 
attacked. 

When Gran’pa saw that Gran’ma’s shooing had no effect 
upon the Faun Boys, Gran’pa ran after them and managed to 
catch their arms and although they struggled to get free he 
held them tightly. 

“My gracious! ” Gran’pa asked them, “Do you wish to kill 
that poor old man ?” 

“Let us go!” the Faun Boys cried, “He’s a wicked 
magician ! ” 


[44] 



G O ' 
Or> ! % 







1 x § if 


The little Faun Boy caught up with the Strange Man, hitting 

him with all his might, (page 44) 







GRAN’MA AND GRAN ’PA FLY AFTER THE CHILDREN 


“I thought they were goats,” Gran’ma exclaimed, and she 
looked hard at the Faun Boys as she adjusted her glasses, “but 
they are part boys! ” 

The Strange Man had managed to get to his feet and with- 
out thanking Gran’pa, who still held the Faun Boys, he slipped 
through the bushes and disappeared. 

The two Faun Boys began crying. “He was a wicked 
magician ! ” they said, “ and he changed us partly into goats. 
We are trying to get him to change us back to our own shapes! 
Now you have spoiled it all!” 

“Dear me!” Gran’ma cried, as she caught the two Faun 
Boys in her arms. “ Gran’pa, you should have known better ! ” 

“ I know I should have known better now, but I didn’t until 
thev told me ! ” Gran’pa said. “ I’m very sorry ! ” 



Just then Janey and Johnny, who had stopped yelling to 
rest a little, started up again and Gran’pa and Gran’ma ran 
towards the house. 


[45] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


The door was locked. 

“Open the door and we will let you out!” cried Gran’pa 
when he could make himself heard. 

“We are tied, hands and feet,” Johnny yelled, “and we 
can’t get to the door!” 

“ Besides, it’s locked on the outside ! ” Janey called. 

“Let’s get a fence rail .and break.in the door ! ” said Gran’pa. 
But there wasn’t a fence in sight. 

“I’ll run back to the 



[40] 


GRAN'MA AND GRAN’PA FLY AFTER THE CHILDREN 

■■■ ■* ■■■ ■ " ■■ 8 »<- 

“If I had him now! ” Gran’ma said, stamping her foot upon 
the ground, “I’d tweak his long nose! That’s what I’d do!” 

Finally Gran’pa came running back all out of breath. 
“The Flying Boat and the children’s Flying Machine are both 
gone ! ” 

“Oh dear!” Gran’ma exclaimed, as she sat down on the 
ground and began crying. 

The Faun Boys began butting their heads against the door, 
Gran’pa helping them by throwing his shoulder against it, and 
soon the door gave way. 

Gran’ma and Gran’pa untied the children and hugged 
them. 

The children told Gran’ma and Gran’pa of their experience. 
“As soon as he had learned the rhyme he was going to change 
us into pigs!” Janey said. 

“Well, we won’t let him now that we are here!” said 
Gran’ma, firmly. 

“Oh, but you couldn’t help yourself if he decided to change 
you into animals!” the Faun Boys told Gran’ma. 



THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


= 

“I’d like to see him just try it!” Gran’ma said, her lips in 
a tight line. “I’d tweek his nose out of joint!” 

“Perhaps we’d better leave the place before he returns!” 
Gran’pa said. “Evidently it was Jingles the Magician who 
took our Flying Boat ! ” 

“Surely it must have been!” the Faun Boys said. 

“Here’s his large book, with the verses in, that he uses to 
work his magic with ! ” cried Johnny. 

The book was too large for them to carry with them, so they 
hid it under some stones and scattered leaves over it so that 
Jingles would not be able to find it if he came back. 



* 


[481 



Enter the Magic Boxing Gloves, the Wolves and the 
Rubber River 

“fr^HE Strange Man is called ‘Jingles the Magician* 
I because he uses rhymes to work his magic,” the Faun 
Boys explained, as they walked from the house. 

They had not gone far before they reached a large field. 
“This is queer! ” one of the Faun Boys cried. “This field was 
not here when we came through a short time ago ! ” 

About half-way across the field was a clump of bushes, and 
Gran’pa said, “ Perhaps it would be as well to walk around it.” 
But as they drew nearer the bushes began moving, and what 
seemed at first to be a flock of birds arose and flew towards 
them. 


149 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


. — - - ■ - ----- ■ 

As the objects came closer Gran’pa saw they were Boxing 
Gloves; swarms of them. They flew about the little group 
and peppered them from all sides. Gran’pa struck them right 
and left with his cane, but was finally forced down. The chil- 
dren, Gran’ma and the Faun Boys ran as fast as they could 
across the field, followed by the Boxing Gloves, which 
swarmed about their heads like giant bees and hit against their 
backs and heads. 

Gran’pa, still on the ground, struck right and left with his 
heavy cane and at each swing he brought down one or two of 
the Boxing Gloves. 

The children, Gran’ma and the Faun Boys by this time had 
reached the other side of the field and dashed into the under- 
brush. For some reason the Boxing Gloves did not follow, but 
turned and flew back and began pelting Gran’pa. 

Whenever Gran’pa managed to get to his feet the Boxing 
Gloves knocked him down, so he lay on his back and struck 
right and left and kicked his heels in the air to keep them from 
striking him. 

When Johnny saw that the Boxing Gloves did not follow 
into the underbrush he told Gran’ma and Janey to wait where 
they were and breaking off a stout stick Johnny rushed back 
to Gran’pa’s assistance. 

The stick was so long and heavy that he tripped over it, but 
he didn’t mind that — just jumped up and ran faster than ever. 

Some of the Boxing Gloves met him half way and 

[ 50 ] 



Gran ’pa struck them right and left with his cane, but was finally 
knocked down, (page 50) 








ENTER THE MAGIC BOXING GLOVES, THE WOLVES AND THE RUBBER RIVER 


■n a ■ » , , ■ ■ ■ 

although Johnny knocked them down by the hundreds, he 
could not defend himself from all sides and three or four of 
the Boxing Gloves, striking him from behind, sent him flying 
to the ground. 

Johnny rolled over and over, but kept his stout stick 
thrashing the air whenever he turned face up. 

Gran’pa was still hitting the Boxing Gloves with his 
cane, but was getting very tired. 

The ground was covered with broken Boxing Gloves, lying 
where Gran’pa and Johnny had struck them with their sticks. 

Johnny tried to get upon his feet, but was promptly knocked 
down. The Faun Boys broke off large sticks and ran back into 
the field, where they fought the Boxing Gloves away from 
Gran’pa and Johnny. 

The Faun Boys whipped so many of the Boxing Gloves 
that soon there were not enough left to injure Gran’pa and 
Johnny again, so as the few remaining Boxing Gloves flew 
at them Gran’pa and Johnny whipped these, too. 

At last there were only three of the Boxing Gloves left and 
these were flying about one of the Faun Boys, trying to find a 
place to strike him. 

Gran’pa ran to his assistance and as he struck at them one 
flew close and knocked Gran’pa’s glasses from his nose, so that 
he could not see. 

“Watch for my glasses, boys!” he cried. “Don’t step on 
them!” 


[51] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


- -■ ■■ v,.- — ' - .. 

Johnny, running up, cracked one of the Boxing Gloves, 
but the other two kept getting behind him. Presently Johnny 
found himself with his back towards the Faun Boys, and a 
Boxing Glove coming to reach the Faun Boy did not know 
Johnny was there until Johnny caught it such a whack with 
his stick he tore it all to pieces. The Faun Boy finally knocked 
the thumb off the last one and the great fight with the Magic 
Boxing Gloves was over. 

What a sight! There were thousands of torn Boxing 
Gloves lying about. 

One of the Faun Boys found Gran’pa’s glasses and handed 
them to him. 

“That was better than fighting bumble bees when I was a 
boy!” Gran’pa laughed. Aside from a black and blue eye, 
Gran’pa was not hurt in the least. 

“That surely was fun!” Johnny cried, as they reached the 
place where they had left Janey and Gran’ma. 

“It won’t be as much fun the next time!” a voice cried, 
and turning, they saw old Jingles the Magician sail from the 
Boxing Glove Bushes in the Flying Boat and disappear in the 
direction of his house. 

“I thought he was responsible for those bushes!” said one 
of the Faun Boys. “You must watch out for him every min- 
ute, for all he has to do to change you into an animal is to puff 
his magic powder on you and say his rhyme ! ” 

“We will watch out for him!” Gran’ma said. 

152 ] 


ENTER THE MAGIC BOXING GLOVES, THE WOLVES AND THE RUBBER RIVER 


•*8 " " - - - -■ ' 8 H - 

The Faun Boys invited Gran’ma and Gran’pa and the chil- 
dren to their place to rest and have something to eat, so they 
led the way and without further adventure came to their tiny 
home. 

When the Faun Boys had given Gran’pa and Gran’ma and 
the children food, Gran’pa said, “I don’t know how we shall 
contrive to get the flying boat away from old Jingles.” 

“ I should advise you not to try it,” one of the Faun Boys 
told him, “ for he will only change you into animals if he once 
gets you separated from each other! I should advise you to 
travel in the opposite direction from his place until you come 
to the town of Nite. Living in that town you will find an old 
Witch who may be able to help you reach the earth again!” 

“Perhaps that will be a wise thing to do!” Gran’ma said. 
“For if we should get separated and one of us should be 
changed to an animal, the rest of us could not go home without 
him and we could not take him home !” 

“Yes,” Janey and Johnny said, “let us go to the City of 
Nite!” 

So, thanking the Faun Boys for their hospitality, Gran ma 
and Gran’pa and Janey and Johnny left them and started on 
their journey. 

The Faun Boys had warned them to be careful of old 
Jingles. 

“ He may follow you all the way to the City of Nite and 
try to get each of you alone so he can say his rhymes, 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


they said, “but once you are 
in the City you are safe, for 
we have heard that the Witch 
is very angry at him and will 
destroy him some day if she 
can!” 

After leaving the home of 
the Faun Boys, Gran’ma with 
her arm about Janey and 
Gran’pa with his arm around 
Johnny, the travelers walked 
until they came to a high cliff 
above a river. There seemed 
to be no way across to the other 
side of the canyon except by 
way of a Vine Bridge. 

“ I can never get across that 
thing!” Gran’ma cried. 

“We’ll have to cross it or 
walk for miles and miles 
around! ” Gran’pa said. For as 
far as they could see in either 
direction, the canyon was just 
as wide and deep as it was there. 

“I just know I’d get dizzy 
and tumble in ! ” Gran’ma said. 



[54] 


ENTER THE MAGIC BOXING GLOVES, THE WOLVES AND THE RUBBER RIVER 




V 


Johnny walked out upon the vine 
bridge and bounced it up and down. 

“It is strong enough to hold us, 
Gran’ma! ” he called back. “Put 
your hands over your eyes and you 
will be all right.” 

“I can’t do it!” Gran’ma replied, 
as she sat down on the ground. 

“If we only had our boat we’d 
fly across!” Janey said. 

“Yes! If we only had our boat 
we’d fly home!” Gran’ma sighed. 

“Maybe, after all, we had best 
go back to the wicked Jingles house 
until he goes to bed and then we may 
be able to get our boat!” Gran’pa 
suggested. 

“Perhaps we had!” Johnny 
agreed. So they turned from the can- 
yon and started to retrace their steps. 




v'U 




[55] 




THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


Suddenly Gran’pa, who was in the lead, stopped and said, 
“ Listen ! What was that?” 

They all held their breaths an instant later. It was the 
baying of Wolves. 

“They are coming in this direction!” Johnny cried. 

The sound grew louder. 

“Which way shall we go?” Janey asked. 

“Come on everybody!” Gran’ma cried, as she lifted her 
skirts and ran towards the Vine Bridge. 

“Wait, Gran’ma!” Janey cried. “Let Johnny help you 
across!” But Gran’ma kept running. 

Just as she reached the edge of the canyon she stumbled 
and slid over the cliff. 

Gran’pa, Johnny and Janey ran to the edge and looked 
over, expecting to see Gran’ma struggling in the river far 
below, but what was their surprise to see her sitting upon the 
top of the water, unharmed. 

“Are you hurt?” Gran’pa called. 

“Not a speck!” Gran’ma called back. “The river is 
rubber and all I did was bounce up and down! ” 

“Jump over and have a bounce! I wish I were up there so 
I could do it again! It was fine!” Gran’ma added, as she 
jumped up and down and bounced about like a rubber ball. 

Gran’pa had almost forgotten the Wolves coming behind 
them, but noticing now how near they seemed, he said, “ We 
haven’t a great deal of time left, Johnny, we better jump! 

[ 56 ] 


ENTER THE MAGIC BOXING GLOVES, THE WOLVES AND THE RUBBER RIVER 


•H* 1 ~ ■ - 1 ■ ==»♦• 

The Wolves have scented us and are getting closer every 
minute ! ” 

“But if we get down there, how will we ever get up 
again?” Johnny wondered. 

“I don’t know!” Gran’pa exclaimed, “but I know I shall 
not leave Gran’ma down there alone! ” So with that, Gran’pa 
jumped from the cliff and turned over and over before he hit 
the Rubber River upon his back. 

The children thought he never would stop bouncing. 

By this time the children could see the Wolves in the dis- 
tance. 

“What shall we do?” Janey cried, wringing her hands. 
“If we jump down we may never get up again, if we stay 
here we shall be caught by the Wolves, and if we go across they 
will follow us ! ” 

“We could go across and then, when the Wolves tried to 
follow, we could bounce the Vine Bridge and shake them off ! ” 
Johnny suggested. 

“Yes, and shake them down to Gran’ma and Gran’pa! 
No, Johnny, that will never do!” 

‘'Then you cross the Vine Bridge, Sis, and I’ll show you 
what we’ll do! Hurry now, before it’s too late!” 

Janey ran across the Vine Bridge, and when she had reached 
the other side Johnny drew his knife from his pocket and 
hacked at the vines. The small, sharp blade soon cut them in 
two. He was none too quick, for just as he severed 

[ 57 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 

.H8=== ■■■ ■ 



the last strand of the Vine Bridge 
the Leader of the Wolves sprang toward 
Johnny. 

As the Vine Bridge fell Johnny jumped 
and caught the loose end and went swing- 
ing across the chasm at a dizzy speed. He 
managed to hold on, even if he did get quite 
a bump when the Vine Bridge struck on the 
other side. 

When the Leader of the Wolves jumped 
and missed Johnny, he flew headlong over 
the cliff. Gran’pa was watching the chil- 
dren, but when he saw the Wolf light upon 

[ 58 ] 



ENTER THE MAGIC BOXING GLOVES, THE WOLVES AND THE RUBBER RIVER 
77 ■' ■■■ 

the Rubber River he braced himself and brought his stout cane 
down upon the Wolf’s head with such force it did not move 
a muscle when it had ceased bouncing. 

Gran’ma, thinking the whole pack of Wolves would follow 
their Leader, ran to the side of the Rubber River and disap- 
peared in a hole in the cliff. 

Gran’pa followed her, and it was well he did, for as soon 
as Gran’ma and he started to run the Wolves jumped over the 
cliff to the Rubber River. 

By the time the Wolves had quit bouncing Gran’pa was in 
the hole beside Gran’ma, and together they had rolled a large 
stone across the opening so the Wolves could not follow. 

As for Johnny, he swung to the other side of the canyon, 
climbed up the Vine Bridge and finally reached the top where 
Janey was sitting waiting for him. 

“Oh Johnny,” she cried, “the Wolves jumped over the 
cliff after Gran’ma and Gran’pa! Look and see if you can see 
them anywhere.” 

Johnny had been so busy climbing he had known nothing 
of what had happened below. 

Now he went to the edge and looked over. The Wolves 
were all at one spot on the cliff. 

“Oh dear!” he cried. “They probably have caught 
Gran’ma and Gran’pa!” 

At this Janey came to the edge and looked. She watched 

the pack closely for a few moments. 

[ 59 ] 



THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 

•H» ■■ ■ ===== »*■ 

“No, they have not! See! The Wolves are tearing and 
digging at that big stone. Gran’ma and Gran’pa must be 
behind the stone ! There must be a cave there ! ” 

Johnny caught his sister by the shoulder and drew her 
hastily away from the edge of the cliff and into the bushes. 

“Old Jingles in the Flying Boat!” he whispered. “I just 
saw a speck in the distance, coming this way!” 

So the children, crouching low, ran away through the ferns 
and bushes. 




AS SOON as Gran’pa and Gran’ma rolled the stone 
f_\ across the opening they walked back into the cave. It 
was very dark and they held their hands in front of 
them so they would not bump their heads if they ran into a 
wall. By and by Gran’pa came to some steps, and feeling his 
way with his cane he helped Gran’ma up the long flight. They 
finally reached the top and walked into a spacious cavern 
filled with a greenish light. They could not discover where 
the light came from, but they could see each other quite plainly. 

Gran’pa and Gran’ma walked across the cavern until they 
came to a door over which hung a sign which read, “Stay out! 
This means you ! ” 


ran 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


*4 8 ' ■ ■ ' ■ - g»«- 

“We may as well go in!” Gran’pa said, “for we cannot 
get out while the Wolves are at the opening!” So hand in 
hand they entered the door and followed a narrow passageway 
as it zigzagged back and forth. 

Presently they came to a round room filled with a reddish 
light, and in the center of this room stood a large pot. 

Gran’pa went up to the pot and raised the lid. As he did 
so the lid sprang from his hands and flew across the room. The 
pot began popping like a bunch of firecrackers, and white stuff 
flew from it up to the ceiling and rattled down about the place. 

Gran’pa and Gran’ma could not find the entrance to the 
room again, although they went around the room four or five 
times. 

Gran’pa discovered a hole far above their heads, and as the 
white stuff flew about them like hail and settled upon the floor, 
they kept climbing on top of it until they could reach the hole 
and climb through. 

As they crawled into the hole something warm and sticky 
flowed by them, so they hurried back into the room from which 
they had just come. It was lucky for them that they did, for 
the sticky stuff poured from the hole in a stream and mixed 
with the white stuff which now nearly filled the room. 

“It’s molasses!” Gran’pa cried, as he tasted it. 

“And the white stuff is popcorn!” Gran’ma cried in turn, 
as she took up a handful and squeezed it together into a pop- 
corn ball. 


E 621 


i 


THE BEAUTIFUL GIRL TELLS HER STRANGE STORY 


«< B — ■■ 

The molasses candy continued to pour from the hole until 
the popcorn was covered with it. Then the room began to sway 
back and forth, gently at first, then faster and faster, until 
Gran’pa, popcorn and Gran’ma were shaken up and rolled 
about much the same as popcorn is in a shaker. Both Gran’pa 
and Gran’ma were covered with molasses and popcorn when 
the room ceased shaking. 

“ Dear me suz ! ” Gran’ma exclaimed. “ The stuff is all in 
my hair! — This is a mess!” 

“Yes, but just taste it, Gran’ma!” Gran’pa said. “It’s 
fine!” 

Again the room began shaking and the air grew much 
warmer. 

“We’d better get out of this ! ” Gran’pa said. “ There must 
be a fire under the room ! ” 

So they crawled through the hole again and now the 
molasses candy had grown hard and did not stick to their 
hands. 

“This must be the place the molasses came from,” said 
Gran’ma, as they came to another room, the sides of which were 
covered with candy. 

There seemed to be no opening at the top for the candy to 
come in and Gran’pa soon discovered that it came in from the 
bottom. 

Through the hard candy at the side of the room Gran’ma 
thought she saw a light, and when Gran’pa pried a large piece 

[ 63 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOQM 



away with his cane they saw another long, narrow opening. 

Through this they crawled until the passageway widened 
and they could stand up and walk. 

After walking down this passageway for five or ten minutes 
Gran’pa and Gran’ma came to a room filled with purple light, 
and in the center of this room stood a large Green Jar. 

“Well I won’t be foolish enough to look in this one!” 
Gran’pa said, as he walked right past it and opened a door 
upon the other side. “ Here we are, Gran’ma ! I can see day- 
light, and the steps lead up to the top of the ground.” 

“If that is the case, I shall take a peep in this Green Jar! ” 
Gran’ma said. 

“Don’t do it, Gran’ma!” Gran’pa cautioned. “Profit by 
our last experience!” 

“Yes, but the other was a pot, and pots are always apt to 
boil over or do something of the sort,” Gran’ma answered. “I 
shall look into this Green Jar and you can hold the door wide 
open, like this, so it won’t take a moment to drop it and hurry 

[ 64 ] 



“Did you open the Green Jar?” 
the Beautiful Girl asked, (page 65) 



















« • 
























THE BEAUTIFUL GIRL TELLS HER STRANGE STORY 


up the steps and escape if it begins to blow popcorn or do any- 
thing of the kind.” 

Gran’ma took the lid from the Green Jar and thick red 
smoke came whirling up from it. 

Gran’ma wished to run, but her knees would not let her, 
so she sat right down, smack! upon the floor and watched. 

When the smoke thinned out Gran’ma saw the hands, then 
the arms, then the head of a Beautiful Girl appear above the 
edge of the Green Jar. 

She raised her arms above her head and yawned. 

When Gran’ pa saw what was coming from the Green Jar 
he came back and helped Gran’ma to her feet. 

The Beautiful Girl turned and looked at them. “Who are 
you?” she asked. 

“Gran’ma and Gran’pa Huggins!” Gran’ pa said. 

“Did you open the Green Jar?” the Beautiful Girl asked. 

“Gran’ma did,” Gran’pa answered, “but I advised her 
not to ! ” 

“Well, seeing that she opened it anyway I shall forgive 
you, Gran’pa!” the Beautiful Girl laughed. 

“Shall we help you out?” Gran’ma asked, as she held out 
her hands. 

“Mercy, how sticky you are!” the Beautiful Girl cried. 

“We were caught in a popcorn machine!” Gran’pa 
laughed. 

When the Beautiful Girl had been helped from the Green 

[ 65 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


•H8 1 ... .. .. ■■ - 1 ' :■ ' - ■-= =»«• 

Jar, Gran’pa led the way to the door and up the stairs to the 
ground above. 

Gran’pa, Gran’ma and the Beautiful Girl came right out 
where Janey and Johnny were hiding. The children flew to 
the old people and threw their arms around their necks. 

“Old Jingles sent the Wolf Pack after us,” Johnny said, 
“for we saw him flying this way after you two had crawled 
into the cave!” 

“Perhaps he will follow us into the cave!” said Gran’ma. 

“I hope he sticks fast in the molasses candy if he does!” 
said Gran’pa. 

“Let us fill the opening here with stones!” Johnny sug- 
gested, “so if he does follow you through the cave he will have 
to go all the way back for his trouble ! ” 

So they all carried sticks and stones and filled up the 
mouth of the cave. When that was finished Janey asked 
where they had found the Beautiful Girl. 

“Let us travel from here as fast as we can! ” said the Beau- 
tiful Girl, “and I will tell you the story as we go along!” 

As they hurried through the giant mushrooms and bushes 
the Beautiful Girl told them the following strange story. 

“I live in the City of Nite,” she began, “or at least I did 
live there until I was shut up in the Green Jar. I was out 
walking one day near the river, and as I stopped on the bank 
to gather some beautiful flowers growing there I came upon a 
Queer Horse standing in the water. At first I thought he could 

[ 66 ] 


THE BEAUTIFUL GIRL TELLS HER STRANGE STORY 


not be alive, for he stood so still and he had no head; but as I 
stood gazing at him in wonderment he switched his tail and 
knocked some flies from his back, and I heard him say, ‘There 
now! I hope I switched all of you off!’ 

“‘Dear me!’ I cried out aloud. ‘A horse without a head 
talking ! Whoever heard of such a thing ! ’ 

“At this the Queer Horse came out of the water and sat 
down upon the bank. 

“‘I don’t see how you are able to travel about without a 
head! ’ I said. 

“‘Well, it is a handicap,’ the Queer Horse answered, ‘but 
I have grown used to it!’ 

“ ‘Where is your head?’ I asked him. 

“ ‘ I ate it off ! ’ he answered. 

“‘Ate it off!’ I exclaimed in wonder. 

“‘Yes!’ he replied. ‘You see, I was always a sort of pig 
when it came to eating, and one day a Strange Man came up 
to me and hit me with his cane and cried, “If you don’t quit 
your eating you’ll burst! I believe if you were given all you 
could eat, you would eat your head off!” 

“‘I should like to have a trial at it!’ I answered the man. 

“‘Then,’ he said, ‘You shall have it!’ and he led me to a 
field where hay and corn and oats grew thick! ‘Now,’ said the 
Strange Man, ‘ Eat ! ’ 

“‘So I ate and ate, until I really did eat my head off!’ 

“And,” continued the Beautiful Girl, “I felt so sorry for 

[ 67 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 

-H8 — ■■■—- - ■-•••- ■ ' —--rrrrlS f^. 

the Queer Horse I went up and patted him where his head 
should have been, and, lo! and behold, his head came into 
view! 

“ At this the Queer Horse was very happy, and told me he 
was very grateful to me. ‘If I can ever be of assistance to you, 
I shall be very glad ! 5 he said. 

“And as we stood there talking the Strange Man came up 
to us and said, ‘Why did you pat the Queer Horse where his 
head wasn’t 



[ 68 ] 


THE BEAUTIFUL GIRL TELLS HER STRANGE STORY 

■■ . -■-■■■ 1 :-TT-T~ - — =gH« 

“‘I don’t know!’ I replied. 4 1 just felt sorry for him and 
wished to pat him ! ’ 

You’ve spoiled my magic!’ the Strange Man said, 4 and 
as punishment you will have to be shut up in the Green Jar!’ 
And he struck me with his cane. 

44 1 did not know another thing until you took the lid off 
the Green Jar,” the Beautiful Girl told Gran’ma, as she ended 
her tale. 

44 And you don’t know how long you were in the Green 
Jar?” asked the children. 

44 No, I have no recollection of any time at all. It just 
seems as if I had gone to sleep and just awakened.” 

44 1 never knew such things were possible,” Gran’pa 
exclaimed, 44 until we came here, to the Magical Land of 
Noom!” 

44 Don’t you live on the Moon?” the Beautiful Girl asked. 

44 No,” Gran’ma answered, 44 we just came to the Moon. 
We live upon the Earth, and we shall be very glad when we 
can get back there, too, I tell you!” 



& 



[ 69 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 

*HS ~’ ■ ' .. ■ . ■ ■ ■ ■ • '-r srflM* 

“Why don’t you return to the Earth?” the Beautiful Girl 
inquired. 

“Old Jingles, the Magician, took our Flying Boat!” said 
Gran’pa. “And we are trying to escape from him now, or get 
our Flying Boat back, or do something, so that we can return 
to the Earth.” 

“Listen!” the Beautiful Girl cried suddenly. “What 
was that?” 

“It sounded like thunder,” Janey said. “There comes the 
storm cloud!” 

“Let us hasten!” the Beautiful Girl cried. “Perhaps we 
may find shelter somewhere ! ” 

So, catching hold of hands, they all ran as hard as they 
could until they came to a village. 

“Here’s a good place!” the girl cried, as she ran in at an 
open door. 

They reached shelter none too soon, for the storm was upon 
them. 



[ 70 ] 



CHAPTER VI 

Now We Come to the Little Old Lady and Jingle’s 
Magic Whistle 

T HE wind howled, and the lightning popped and cracked, 
and everything grew as black as ink. The rain came 
down in torrents and the house in which they had taken 
shelter rocked and shook. 

“I wonder if anyone lives here!” Gran’ma said, as she felt 
around the walls and turned on a light. 

The room was flooded with brightness, and the Beautiful 
Girl saw a paper lying on a table and picked it up. 

“Oh dear me!” she cried, as she sat down on a chair and 
buried her face in her hands. 


[ 71 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


•♦«-== ■■ ' ' 

Gran’ma ran to her and put her arms around her. “ What 
is the matter, my dear?” she asked. 

“Look at the date on this paper! ” wept the Beautiful Girl. 

Gran’ma read, “July 24, 339,780.” 

“I don’t understand!” said Gran’ma as the others came 
and stood around the Beautiful Girl. 

“It was in the year 339,700 that I talked to the Queer 
Horse and the Strange Man put me in the jar! Oh dear! I 
have been in that jar for eighty years ! ” 

“There’s one consolation.” said Gran’pa, gallantly, “you 
do not look it!” 

“I know it!” the Beautiful Girl replied, “We never 
change much here. I did not tell you before, you see, that I 
am Princess Nidia of Nite, and that there has been no one to 
rule the City of Nite in all this time ! ” 

“ Oh, yes, there has ! ” Gran’ma cried. “ For the Faun Boys 
told us there was an old Witch who ruled things in the City 
of Nite!” 

“Then I am lost!” the Beautiful Girl cried. “For she 
will never let me have my throne back again ! ” 

“We will take it away from her!” said Johnny. “It 
belongs to you and we will help you get it back ! And we shall 
call you The Princess from now on ! ” 

“I hope you can get my throne back,” the Princess said, as 
Gran’ma wiped the tears from her eyes. “I cannot imagine 
who this Witch can be!” 


[ 72 ] 



‘It was in the year 339,700 that I talked to the Queer Horse 
and the Strange Man put me in the jar!” (page 72) 



























































































NOW WE COME TO THE LITTLE OLD LADY AND JINGLES’ MAGIC WHISTLE 


“The Faun Boys told us that the Witch was an enemy of 
old Jingles, the wicked Magician,” said Janey, “so perhaps 
the Witch has just been holding your throne for you until you 
return! ” 

While they had been talking the storm had increased in 
fury so that the windows rattled as if they would fall out. 

A leak started in the roof and water dripped to the floor, 
where it spread on the carpet and made a black spot. 

“It is one of our ink rains! ” said the Princess. 

Gran’ma ran to the kitchen and got a large tub which she 
placed where it would catch the ink and save the carpet. 

“Thank you very much for doing that! ” said a voice from 
the other side of the room. “I feel sure anyone kind enough to 
do and act like that would not harm a poor Little Old Lady ! ” 

“Indeed we wouldn’t harm you!” Gran’pa said. “But 
where are you hiding?” 

“Up here!” said the Little Old Lady, as she looked out 
from behind a picture which covered a window. 

“ There is a door behind the cabinet there, and if you press 
the little button at the side you will see a stairway! Perhaps 
you would be more comfortable up here ! ’ 

“Shall we go up?” asked Gran’ma. 

“Yes, let’s go up and see her,” the 
children replied. 

So Johnny hunted until he found 
the tiny button, and the cabinet swung 

[ 73 ] 




THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


- - ■ ■ -■■■ - 

out from the wall, disclosing the thoroughly scoured stairway. 

When they were all on the inside the cabinet swung back 
into place, and the little doorway was hidden. 

They went up the stairs and came into a very pretty little 
room with soft chairs and couches standing about. 

“Make yourselves comfortable/’ said the Little Old Lady, 
“while I get you a bite to eat and a cup of tea! ” 

From the coziness of the little room the storm could hardly 
be heard, and the visitors were happy, watching the Little Old 
Lady as she worked. 

She wore a tiny little poke bonnet and a tight waist with 
an enormous overskirt of flowered material. Two cheery eyes 
full of twinkles looked out through shiny eyeglasses, and a 
stray white curl peeped out from beneath the back of her 
bonnet. 

“When I heard you come running up the path, I hid/’ 
the Little Old Lady said when the tea was ready, “for no one 
would suspect that I had a room up here and nothing would 
disturb me in my retreat.” 

When all had eaten and Gran’ma had cleaned up the 
crumbs and started to wash the dishes, they were all startled 
by a loud thumping down stairs. 

“Sh!” whispered the Little Old Lady. “Sit still while I 
take a peek ! ” She turned out the light and went to the picture 
and peeped through. Then she closed the picture window and 
turned on the light. 


[ 74 ] 


NOW WE COME TO THE LITTLE OLD LADY AND JINGLES’ MAGIC WHISTLE 
- ■ ■ ■ ■■■■ ... — a n- 

“Sh!” she whispered again. “Didn’t I hear you talking 
of a wicked man ? Come and see if it is he ; but remember, do 
not make the slightest noise or he will discover us ! ” 

When all had peeped through the picture window, and the 
kind old lady had closed it again the Princess said, “It is 
indeed the wicked Strange Man who put me in the jar!” 

“It is old Jingles, the Magician!” whispered the others. 

Yes, it was old Jingles, the Magician, but he was a very 
sorry sight. His clothes were covered with black mud and the 
ink rain had soaked through his hat and had run down over his 
face so that it was as black as coal. 

He stamped his feet to shake the ink from his clothes, and 
wiped his face with his handkerchief; but the more he wiped 
it the blacker it grew. 

The Little Old Lady again motioned the rest to the win- 
dow and turned out the light so that they could watch old 
Jingles. 

“Just wait until I catch them!” he muttered to himself. 
“I will change all of them into pigs and never let them see a 
mud puddle! I should have been all right if Gran’ma and 
Gran’pa had not come along! It’s all their fault, and it was 
they who rescued the Princess from the Green Jar! Oh, just 
wait until I catch them! Then they will be sorry they ever 
came to the Magical Land of Noom!” 

The wicked creature tried saying some of his magic rhymes 
to clean the ink from himself, but he did not succeed. 

[ 75 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


' ■ ■■■■■■■—- 1 1 

“I should have had all of them in my power by this time 
if the ink rain had not soaked my little Magic Whistle so that 
I cannot blow it!” And he took something from out of his 
pocket and wiped it with his handkerchief. 

It was a Magic Whistle made of pig-skin and had little 
tassels hanging from it. Now the pig-skin was soaking wet 
and the tassels dripping ink. The more the Magician wiped 
the whistle, the wetter it seemed to become. 

The storm had slackened by this time and old Jingles went 
to the window. “They cannot have gone far!” he said as he 
shook his fist at the black clouds disappearing in the distance, 
“and no matter how far they have gone, I will catch up with 
them when my Magic Whistle dries ! And then they had better 
be careful ! ” 

As the rain of ink had now ceased, the Magician went to 
the door and looked out. “ I hope it will dry up soon,” he said, 
“so that I can catch up with them!” And he walked out of 
the house. 

“What had we better do?” Gran’ma asked. 

“We had best stay where we are for a while,” Gran’pa 
replied, “for evidently the ink rain has covered our tracks and 
he will not be able to find us, so he will go on and we can 
follow him.” 

“I must hasten to the City of Nite,” cried the Princess, 
“and try to regain my throne. My subjects were so happy 
when I was there — oh, dear, I wonder how it will all turn out! ” 

[ 76 ] 


NOW WE COME TO THE LITTLE OLD LADY AND JINGLES’ MAGIC WHISTLE 


“ Perhaps the Little Old Lady can suggest something for 
us to do / 5 Janey said. 

The Little Old Lady thought a while and then said, “I 
believe it will be as well for all of you to stay here for a time. 
That will throw Jingles off the track. I will run over to my 
brothers and ask their advice. I think it would be as well for 
all of you to stay in this room, meanwhile, in case the Magician 
should return ! ” 

Then the Little Old Lady went down a back stairway and 
out of the door. 

“If I had known what trouble we should get into, I should 
never have built the Flying Machine !” said Johnny. 

“Do not take all the blame, Johnny/’ said his sister, “for 
it was I who thought of most of it and then we really did not 
know it would fly!” 



The Little Old Lady was gone for quite a while and as the 
others sat talking in the cozy secret room, they again heard 
stamping downstairs. 

Gran’ma went to the picture window and peeped through. 
Old Jingles had returned. “I can not find their trail beyond 

[ 77 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


-HB = ' ■ .-=-T ■■■■■■■== " ' * 

this house ! 55 he cried as he kicked over a chair. “If my Magic 
Whistle would only dry so that I could blow it and discover 
where they are, I could easily catch up with them and punish 
them! ” 

“Dear me!” Gran’ma whispered to the others who had 
gathered around the picture window to listen. “The wicked 
Magician seems to think we have done something very mean 
to him, when we are only trying to escape his clutches ! ” 

“That is always the case,” said the Princess. “Those who 
do the most harm always think they are the most abused when 
things do not go just as they wish!” 

“I hope his Magic Whistle warps out of shape so that 
when it blows it will turn his magic right back on himself!” 
Johnny whispered. 

The more the Magician thought of our friends escaping 
him the more injured he felt, and he knocked the furniture 
about in his anger. 

At last he kicked the cabinet and loosened the little button 
which opened the door. “Hello! ” he cried. “Here is a secret 
stairway!” 

“Quick!” cried Gran’ma. “He has discovered the stair- 
way! He is coming up! Run down the back way quick!” 

They all ran down the back stairs as fast as they could, and 
of course they made a lot of noise running. The more quietly 
they tried to run the more they tripped and stumbled. The 
Magician, hearing them, knew in a moment who it was and 

[ 78 ] 


NOW WE COME TO THE LITTLE OLD LADY AND JINGLES' MAGIC WHISTLE 


sprang up the front stairway in pursuit. Then down the back 
stairs he ran too. 

As Gran’pa, Gran’ma, the Princess and Janey ran down 
the street they saw the Little Old Lady running towards them 
with her three brothers. 

Johnny, bracing himself at the back door, was trying to 
hold it so the Magician could not get out and he did succeed 
in holding him back until the others got a good start. 

When the Magician finally forced the door open, Johnny 
took to his heels with the long-legged Magician close behind 
him. Johnny dodged this way and that until he almost caught 
up with the others, who, when they met the Little Old Lady 
and her brothers had stood still. 


Just as the 
reaching out his 
hold of John- 
Johnny remem- 


Magician was 
hand to catch 
ny’s collar, 
bered a trick he 



[79] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


had learned with other boys and dropped to his knees, right 
in front of the Magician. 

This tripped up Old Jingles and he went sprawling head 
over heels. As he rolled over the three brothers of the Little 
Old Lady pounced upon him and held him so he could not 
move. 

The Magician rolled his eyes and started to say a rhyme, 
but one of the brothers clapped his hand over Jingles’ mouth. 

Then while two of the brothers held the Magician down, 
the other ran to the house and came back with ropes. Soon the 
Magician was tied so that he could not move a muscle and a 
handkerchief was tied across his mouth. 

By this time many people had gathered about and it was 
suggested that Old Jingles be given a seat in the ducking pool. 

“Now,” said the Little Old Lady, “you folks had better 
be on your way! We will keep the Magician here as long as 
possible.” 

So Gran’pa, Gran’ma, Johnny, Janey and the Princess 
stayed only long enough to see the Magician soused up and 
down in the water two or three times and then they hastened 
out of town. 

The brothers ducked the wicked Magician up and down in 
the pond until they grew tired, then others took their places 
and they kept this up for two hours. Then the Magician was 
placed in the stocks and his hands and feet firmly padlocked so 
that he could not get away. 

[SO] 



CHAPTER VII 

The Soft-Voiced Cow Meets the Witch and 
the Invisible People 


A FTER leaving the village in which the Magician was 
/ \ a prisoner, Gran’ma, Gran’pa, the Princess and the 
children ran until they were tired, and coming to a 
quiet shady place they sat down to rest. 

“I do not believe I have run so hard since I was a girl,” 
said Gran’ma as she fanned herself. 

Just then they heard a noise in the bushes and all sprang 
to their feet, but sat down again with sighs of relief when a 
Cow walked up to them. 

The Cow wore a pretty bonnet and a velour waist; her skirt 
was of velvet with flowers embroidered around the edge. 

181 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 

■HB=== =^"'- , ~~' ■■ ■■ ■ ■■■■=■■: ' ■— '■ '■■■ — — 

As she came up to the little group she shook the wrinkles 
out of her apron and sat down facing them. 

“How do you do, everybody! 55 the Cow said in a soft voice, 
as she smiled at all. 

Everybody greeted the Soft-Voiced Cow in a kindly 
manner. 

“I saw you running across the field / 5 said the Soft-Voiced 
Cow, “and you looked as if you were running away from some- 
thing / 5 

“We were / 5 Gran’ma said. “We were running away 
from Old Jingles the Magician, who wants to change us into 
animals / 5 

“Dear me suz ! 55 exclaimed the Soft-Voiced Cow. “Is he 
that wicked ? 55 

“ Yes indeed he is / 5 Janey said, and she told of their expe- 
riences, and of that of the Princess. 

“If he follows you, he may find me when he comes this 
way / 5 said the Soft-Voiced Cow. “So if you do not mind my 
company, I will go with you to the City of Nite. I should not 
care to meet so wicked a Magician . 55 

“We should be greatly pleased to have your company / 5 
they told the Soft-Voiced Cow. 

When they had rested, Gran’pa said they better begin 
travel on; so the Soft-Voiced Cow took Gran’ma and the 
Princess and Janey on her back and the little party started on 
their way. 


[ 82 ] 



The Old Woman caught the Soft-Voiced Cow’s tail 
and began dragging her back, (page 83) 








41 

















% 






































































































THE-SOFT VOICED COW MEETS THE WITCH AND THE INVISIBLE PEOPLE 

•H fr ~ ~ ■ ■ ' ' - . ■■■■■■ ■ ■ ■■ ■ 

They passed through dense groves of giant mushrooms 
and at times these were so thick they had to bend them to one 
side in order to pass. 

When they grew hungry the children told Gran’ma and 
Gran’pa that the mushrooms were cake, so they ate of these. 

After leaving the forest of mushrooms the path led through 
very rocky country and as they turned a cliff the party came 
upon a spring bubbling from the rocks and splashing down into 
a small stream far below. 

There were a number of cups near the spring, so the 
children ran up and took a drink. “Oh hurry!” they cried, 
“It’s a soda water spring! ” 

After drinking all they wished they again set out upon 
their journey. When they finally left the rocky country and 
came upon a level stretch of road they saw approaching them 
an Old Woman. 

Gran’ma, the Princess and Janey had dismounted from 
the back of the Soft-Voiced Cow, for they did not wish to tire 
her. 

When the Old Woman came up to them, she caught the 
Soft-Voiced Cow by the tail and began dragging her back the 
way the party had come. 

Gran’pa was for making her let go of the Soft-Voiced Cow’s 
tail, but the Soft-Voiced Cow spoke gently and said, “Let her 
be; she is evidently an ill mannered person or she would not 
treat a stranger in this manner!” 

[ 83 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


•H U- - ■ ■ =*» *■ 

However, the Old Woman dragged the Soft-Voiced Cow 
down the road so fast the friction of the cow’s feet upon the 
roadway made them burn. 

So the Soft-Voiced Cow turned to the Old Woman and 
said, “I wish you would please let go of my tail! I do not 
care to travel in the direction you are taking me and besides 
you are making my feet burn.” 

But the Old Woman kept right on and paid no attention to 
the cow. 

When the Soft-Voiced Cow had been dragged back upon 
the road for about a mile with the little party following her, 
the Soft-Voiced Cow turned her head to the Old Woman and 
said in her gentle way, “My dear lady, I must insist that you 
let go of my tail, for you are delaying our party! We wish to 
go in the opposite direction! And if you drag me three more 
steps, I shall have to raise my heels and upset you ! ” 

At this, Gran’pa caught the Old Woman’s arm and said, 
“Why do you drag the Soft-Voiced Cow in this manner'?” 

The Old Woman stopped and gazed at Gran’pa for a moment, 
“Does this Cow belong to you?” she asked. 

“Of course not!” Gran’pa replied. 

“Does she belong to anyone in your party?” the Old 
Woman asked. 

“Of course not!” Gran’pa replied. 

“Then,” said the Old Woman, “in that case, the Cow 
does not belong to you nor anyone else that you know of, so 

[ 84 ] 


THE SOFT-VOICED COW MEETS THE WITCH AND THE INVISIBLE PEOPLE 


•H B— — ■ 1 =»*■ 

she must be lost. And anything which is lost belongs to the 
one who finds it! Therefore, since I found the Cow she 
belongs to me, so I will take her home and make ox tail soup 
out of her ! ” 

“Did you ever hear the like?” cried the Princess. “Do 
not let her take the Soft-Voiced Cow to make soup of ! ” 

The Old Woman again began dragging the Soft-Voiced 
Cow down the road. 

“ Stand aside ! ” said the Soft-Voiced Cow. “ ONE, TWO, 
THREE ! There ! ” She raised her heels in the air and upset 
the Old Woman. “I promised that I would do it if you 
dragged me three more steps! ” 

The Old Woman scrambled to her feet and shook her fist 
at Gran’ma. “You will pay for this!” she cried. “Just 
wait ! ” 



And as the travelers and the Soft-Voiced Cow resumed their 
journey, the Old Woman followed right behind them mutter- 
ing in an undertone, “You will pay for this!” 

[ 85 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


-H8 ■■■- ' ■ ' ■■■"■r-rTrrr ~ 

When they had gone but a little way beyond the place 
where they had met the Old Woman, Johnny who was ahead 
of the others found ten cans. With these he came running 
back. 

“Here are ten cans of ox tail soup!” he said, as he offered 
them to the Old Woman. 

“I don’t want them! ” the Old Woman cried. “I want the 
Soft-Voiced Cow and I will have her if I have to follow you 
all around the Moon!” 

“You are a most unreasonable Old Woman!” said the 
Princess. “You don’t try to be happy! When you get what 
you want it seems to make you discontented!” 

The Old Woman did not answer, but ran around the party 
and down the road ahead of them. “You just wait! ” she cried 
again. “You will all be sorry!” 

“ Let’s not pay any attention to her any more ! ” said the 
Soft-Voiced Cow. “She is very disagreeable and has delayed 
us long enough as it is ! ” 

The Old Woman could run very fast and she soon 
disappeared around the bend in the road. They heard her 
clapping and shouting. When the travelers reached the bend 
in the road a strange sight met their eyes. 

As far as they could see before them and to either side was 
a great bog. 

Gran’pa went up to it and pushed his cane into the edge. 
It was very soft. 

[86] 


THE SOFT-VOICED COW MEETS THE WITCH AND THE INVISIBLE PEOPLE 

— ' 1 ■ ■ ■■ 1 — -■ « f«- 

“We shall have to walk around it,” Gran’pa said, “for we 
should sink out of sight if we attempted to cross it!” 

When Gran’pa wiped his cane off in the grass, he felt that 
it was very sticky, and touching his finger to the bog he tasted 
it. “Molasses candy mud!” he cried. 

“This is very unfortunate! ” said the Princess as she looked 
about. “We shall lose a lot of time walking around the 
molasses candy bog!” 

“I told you that you would be sorry! ” cried a voice behind 
them, and looking around they saw the Old Woman standing 
on a little hill shaking her fist at them. “I made it with my 
magic!” she called, “and you will never get across it!” 

“The unreasonable wicked creature!” Gran’ma cried as 
she started after the Old Woman. “I will tweek your nose 
for you if I catch you!” 

The Old Woman did not tarry long, but struck out over 
the hill with Gran’ma close behind her. Gran’ma ran after 
the Old Woman and the others followed. The Old Woman 
made for a little house not far away and as she jumped 
through the door, she, the house and all disappeared. 

“Well!” Gran’pa cried as he came up to Gran’ma. “We 
are rid of her at any rate!” 

“I hope we shall never see her again,” said the Soft-Voiced 
Cow. “Like most disagreeable people she isn’t satisfied unless 
everyone else is uncomfortable, depressed and so unhappy.” 

“We may as well start walking around the molasses 

[ 87 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 

.♦+8 : - T - - ' ■- ' ■■■■- 

candy bog / 5 said the Princess, “for we are losing so much time 
old Jingles may catch up with us ! 55 

“I have a suggestion , 55 said the Soft-Voiced Cow, “which 
may be helpful. Let us all walk down to the molasses candy 
bog, and when we are at the edge I will take you all on my 
back and carry you some distance along the bank, so that you 
will not leave any footprints. Then when the Magician 
comes along he will not be able to track you ! 55 

“That is an excellent idea ! 55 said Gran’pa. “Let us act 
upon the Soft-Voiced Cow’s suggestion ! 55 So they all walked 
down to the molasses candy bog. 

The Soft-Voiced Cow took Gran’ma, Janey and the 
Princess upon her back and carried them far down the bank; 
then she returned and carried Gran’pa and Johnny to where 
the others were waiting. 

But as they walked the bank gradually curved in until in 
a short time they were walking in the direction from which 
they had just come. 

“This will never do , 55 said Gran’pa coming to a stop, “for 
we are returning from whence we came . 55 

And when they walked back along the bank the same thing 
happened. Everything went swinging before them in long, 
sweeping circles. They couldn’t make heads or tails of the 
shore line. 

“Let us try walking away from the molasses candy bog,” 
said Johnny, “and see what happens then!” 

[ 88 ] 


THE SOFT-VOICED COW MEETS THE WITCH AND THE INVISIBLE PEOPLE 

-t. - ' - ' ' If M- 

So they turned their backs to the bog and started walking 


away from it. Sure enough, when they did this the bog began 


to fade away, and soon it disappeared entirely! 

“ Whee ! 55 cried the children. “We can go ahead !” 

The travelers had lost a lot of valuable time, so they 
hastened across the fields where the bog had been. 

“You see!” said the Princess, “Johnny was right! The 
'Old Woman’s magic was as contrary as herself, for when the 
molasses candy bog thought we did not care whether we 
crossed it or not, it disappeared.” 

As the travelers walked along, they saw numbers of small 
animals running about. 

“I wonder where these little animals were when the great 



molasses bog was here!” Janey 
said looking at them curiously. 


[89] 



THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


-HB ■■■ ■ ■ — 

When the little animal answered, the Soft Voiced Cow 
rolled over on the ground with laughter and when at last she 
could speak she said, “I asked the animal where it was when 
the bog was here, and it said there never had been a bog here. 
Said it had lived here for years and the ground had always 
been as it is now, except after a hard rain, so you see the Old 
Woman only made us believe we saw a bog here, when in 
reality there was none at all.” 

“It’s queer,” exclaimed Gran’ pa, “but I certainly tasted 
molasses candy on my cane ! In fact,” he said, looking at the 
cane, “there is still some on it now!” 

“Let me taste it!” Gran’ma cried. “Yes,” she said, “it 
is molasses candy ! ” 

“Well at any rate we are not troubled with the bog now!” 
Janey mused. 

Across the fields rose high mountains. 

“I wonder if we shall be able to find a path through the 
mountains!” Gran’pa said. 

“I think those are the mountains bordering the City of 
Nite!” said the Princess. “And if that is the case we have 
not very much farther to travel.” 

But the mountains were farther away than the travelers 
thought, for after walking for an hour they came to a rise in 
the ground from which they looked across miles and miles of 
beautiful valley country. Gran’ma and Gran’pa said it was 
almost as pretty as the country round the farm back home. 

t 90 1 


THE SOFT-VOICED COW MEETS THE WITCH AND THE INVISIBLE PEOPLE 


•+ * " ' - — ■ S H- 

Down in the valley a little way they saw a tiny house and 
walked in that direction. When they came to the front gate 
and called no one answered, so they walked in and knocked 
at the door. 

As no one answered the knock they walked around to the 
back door and looked inside the kitchen, for the door was 
open. There on the stove were pots and pans filled with 
food which was cooking; and as they watched, one of the pots 
raised itself from the stove and poured its contents into 
another pot. Then another pot moved across the stove and 
its lid came off and hung itself in the air, while a large spoon 
raised itself from the back of the stove and stirred the con- 
tents of the pot. 

“Shall we go in?” Janey whispered, as they all hesitated 
on the step. 

Gran’pa raised his cane and knocked three times on the 
door sill. 

“What was that?” cried a man’s voice from the front part 
of the house. 

“Something hammered upon the door!” a woman’s voice 
in the kitchen answered. “But I can see nothing outside to 
cause the noise!” 

Gran’pa raised his cane and gave three more knocks. 

“Did you ever!” the woman’s voice cried. “I was looking 
right at the spot where the noise came from and I could not 
see a thing!” 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


•H fa - '■ ■ ■ "" ■ ■ 

Evidently the man had come to the kitchen door and stood 
near the woman, for the travelers heard him speak right at the 
back door. 

“What could it have been, Ella 1 ?” he said. 

Gran’pa turned and winked at the others and again rapped 
three times with his cane upon the door sill. 

“There! You hear for yourself, Jules! There must be 
an invisible person knocking at the door ! ” 

“Is anyone there?” asked the man’s voice. 

“We are standing right here in plain sight!” Gran’ma 
replied. 

“Dear me!” the woman’s voice said. “I can see no one, 
can you, Jules?” 

“I can’t see anyone!” Jules answered. “Whoever it is 
must be invisible!” 

“It’s the Princess of Nite, Janey and Johnny, Gran’ma 
and Gran’pa Huggins!” Gran’pa said. “We can see our- 
selves easily, but you are invisible to us ! ” 

“Had we better ask them in?” Ella inquired of the man. 

“Yes, do come in!” he said in answer, and as Gran’pa 



[92] 


THE SOFT- VOICED COW MEETS THE WITCH AND THE INVISIBLE PEOPLE 


was nearest the door, he walked in first and bumped right into 
the Invisible Man. 

“ Please excuse me!” Gran’pa said. “I am sorry, but I 
did not see you!” 

“ That’s all right,” the Invisible Man replied in a cheery 
voice. “I was standing right in the doorway and I should 
have moved out of your way!” 

His voice now came from the other side of the kitchen. 
“We will stand over at this side of the room until all of you 
have gone into the dining room. We were about to have 
dinner, and if you will take pot luck we shall be pleased to have 
you dine with us.” 

“That is nice of you!” Gran’ma said as she and the 
others walked into the dining room and sat down at the table. 

“It is strange to hear people speak and not be able to see 
them!” said Janey. 



[93] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


■■■ - ■-= — •••-— ■ 

Johnny felt something brush against his leg and when he 
felt down there he touched fur. “ Here’s a kitten!” he cried, 
as he picked it up and held it upon his lap. All could hear 
the kitten purring as Johnny stroked it’s back, but it was 
invisible too. 

There were only two plates upon the table when the visi- 
tors entered the dining room, but now five more plates seemed 
to place themselves. 

“Everybody pull up chairs!” said the Invisible Man, as 
he caught hold of Gran’ma’s chair and tried to pull it towards 
the table. “Please excuse me,” he laughed when he felt the 
weight and knew that one of his guests was in it. 

All pulled their chairs up to the table, Ella suggesting that 
the visitors be seated first so that she and Jules would know 
just where they were. 

So all of the party presently were seated at the table and 
Ella brought in the food from the kitchen. 

It was strange for Gran’pa, Gran’ma, the children and the 
Princess to see the dishes of food come floating in from the 
kitchen, and it seemed as strange for Jules and Ella to hear 
the voices of invisible guests and see their knives and forks 
rise from the table to cut their food. 

When Jules had passed everything and all had helped them- 
selves he asked where they were traveling and where they had 
come from. 

“It’s a long story,” Gran’pa said. 

[ 94 ] 


THE SOFT-VOICED COW MEETS THE WITCH AND THE INVISIBLE PEOPLE 


™ 1 " --■■■■ 

Then Gran’ma told him of how they had come to the Moon, 
and why they were traveling to the City of Nite. 

“But the wicked Magician will not be able to see you,” 
said Jules, “for you are invisible!” 



“No,” Gran’ma answered, “we are visible to him, but the 
chances are that he will not be able to see you! ” 

“If that is the case, and he should pass here we will do our 
best to help you!” said Ella. 

When the visitors had finished their dinner they thanked 
Jules and Ella and asked if they might be excused. 

[ 95 ] 



THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


“We are anxious to get to the City of Nite so that we can 
assist the Princess in regaining her throne, and try to get our 
Flying Boat so that we can return to the Earth,” they explained. 

The Invisible Man and Woman said they understood the 
visitors’ hurry, and told them to stop in to see them if they 
passed that way again. 

Just then the Soft-Voiced Cow put her head in at the door 
and asked if they were ready to start. 

When the Invisible Man and Woman heard the Soft- 
Voiced Cow speak they asked if they had forgotten to invite 
some of the party in to dinner. 

“It’s the Soft-Voiced Cow,” explained the Princess. “She 
has been eating her dinner of grass out in the back yard ! ” 

“I can scarcely believe there is a Cow there!” said the 
voice of Ella. “Would the Cow mind if I touched her to see 
if I can feel her?” 

The Soft-Voiced Cow laughed heartily at this and stood 
still while Ella patted her. 

After a lot of reaching around in the air, Gran’pa and the 
rest succeeded in shaking hands with their invisible friends. 

“Funny how pleasant people keep out of sight,” Gran’ma 
said as her party started down the walk. 

“Thank you so much!” they all cried. “We hope to see 
you again some time!” 

At this the Invisible Man and Woman laughed and replied, 
“And we hope to see you again some time, too!” 

[ 96 ] 



CHAPTER VIII 

Tiptoe, the Dancing Master, Uses His Magic Umbrella 


AFTER traveling for a long time the travelers finally 
/ \ came to the mountains and as they walked up a path 
amongst the rocks they heard someone talking. 

It proved to be a queer little man, no larger than Johnny. 

He was seated near a large stone in the shade of a small 
umbrella, and he was talking to himself. 

When he heard the footsteps of the party, he arose to his 
feet and made a low bow, sweeping the dust from the ground 
with the top of his high hat. 

“Good afternoon!” he called cheerily. 

[ 97 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


Then seeing the Princess, who had been walking behind 
Gran’pa, he rushed towards her and threw himself at her feet. 

“It’s my old Dancing Master, Tiptoe !” cried the Prin- 
cess as she pulled the little man to his feet and gave him a hug 
before introducing him to Gran’pa and the others. 

“ What are you doing way out here in the mountains?” the 
Princess asked when they had all taken seats around the Danc- 
ing Master. 

The Dancing Master took out a red handkerchief and 
wiped his nose-glasses carefully. “It’s really a long story,” 
he replied. “Won’t you tell me where you have been for 
eighty years first?” he inquired of the Princess. 

The Princess told him of her strange adventure with the 
Queer Horse and all that had happened up to the time she 
was rescued from the Green Jar by Gran’ma. 

When she had finished her story the Dancing Master took 
Gran’ma’s hand and kissed it. 

“Everyone in the City of Nite owes you a debt of grati- 
tude, Gran’ma,” he said, “and in some manner or other I, 
for one, hope to repay you ! ” 

“Oh it wasn’t anything!” Gran’ma cried. “I just saw 
the Green Jar and opened it because I was inquisitive. Of 
course we are very glad that we rescued the Princess from the 
Green Jar but we do not deserve any credit for it! ” 

Janey, who was anxious to hear the Dancing Master’s story, 
again asked Tiptoe how he happened to be in the mountains. 

r 98 1 


TIPTOE, THE DANCING MASTER, USES HIS MAGIC UMBRELLA 
- ■ . l| f+- 

“The day you disappeared,” the Dancing Master said, 
turning to the Princess, “I was to have given you a lesson, 
don’t you remember? And I was on my way to the Castle 
when I saw people running in all directions about the City of 
Nite. I inquired of one why they were so excited. 4 Don’t you 
know?’ he answered. ‘The Beautiful Princess has disap- 
peared ! Completely vanished ! ’ ” 

“When I heard this I ran with all speed to the Castle. I 
had the right to enter at any time in the day,” he explained to 
the children, “so I ran right up to the ball-room, for I heard 
voices in loud discord coming from there!” 

“There I found a strange looking woman, with long 
straggly hair and a long nose, shaking her walking stick at the 
Princess’ Ladies in Waiting. 

“What is going on here?” I cried as I ran up to the group 
of ladies. 

“‘This strange creature claims to be the Princess and says 
that a Magician has transformed her into an old woman,’ the 
Ladies in Waiting answered. ‘We do not believe she is 
telling us the truth ! ’ 

“I could not believe it myself,” added the Dancing 
Master, “but still I have heard of stranger things, so I said 
to the Ladies in Waiting, ‘Perhaps she really is the Princess!’ 

“At first I could not get any of the ladies to agree with 
me,” the Little Man went on, “and really, to tell the truth, I 
could not blame them much for as the days went by the queer 

[ 99 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


■ -= 

creature who said she had been changed from our own Beau- 
tiful Princess into this ugly woman did such disagreeable 
things to the Ladies in Waiting they all moved from the Castle, 
and would not have anything to do with her. After a while 
I discovered that the old woman was not the Princess. 

“You must know that by this time no one ever went near 
the old woman, who lived alone and kept herself shut up in a 
room away in the top of the Castle tower. One night, as I was 
passing the Castle, I heard a window creak far above my head, 
and looking up I saw the old woman, seated in an umbrella, 
fly out of the tower window and go speeding away out of 
sight. Then I knew that she was a witch! 

“I ran home as fast as I could and told Mrs. Tiptoe what 
I had seen. 

“ We were so excited at first we couldn’t think of a thing to 
say. We just looked at each other. 

“Mrs. Tiptoe was one of the Ladies in Waiting to the 
Princess ! ” the Dancing Master explained to Gran’ma. 
“Finally my good wife cried, T knew it all along! It is not 
our beautiful Princess. Who knows but that this wicked 
Witch has taken the Princess and hidden her away some- 
where ! ” 

“ ‘ I will go see this Witch and talk to her myself ! ’ Mrs. 
Tiptoe cried, an instant later and I could not dissuade her. 
Although she might have known it would lead to trouble, she 
put on her bonnet and ran to the Castle ! 

[ 100 ] 


TIPTOE, THE DANCING MASTER, USES HIS MAGIC UMBRELLA 
•H B" - ■ ■ ■ — ■ 

“Of course I followed. We went up the palace steps 
together and right in at the door. The Palace was a sight !’ 5 
exclaimed the Little Man. “No one ever went there and there 
were papers and cobwebs all over the place. No one cleaned 
any of the rooms, for no one would have anything to do with 
that disagreeable old creature ! So we went through the Palace 
until we came to the rooms the old hag used for her living 
quarters, and there we found proof that it indeed was not our 
beloved Princess!” 

Here the poor Dancing Master fell to weeping so vio- 
lently the Princess came and placed her arm over his shoulder, 
and Gran’pa and Gran’ma looked far across the valley, their 
eyes swimming in tears. 

When the Dancing Master had dried his eyes he continued, 
“We found many charms and implements of magic. Rabbit’s 
feet, and other things of the kind. Then, too, in corners and 
upon shelves about the room were jars of peculiar powder with 
labels which we could not read pasted upon them. In the 
center of the room was an iron kettle and queer designs had 
been traced about on the marble floor with black, green and 
yellow paint. 

“‘I knew she was a witch!” my wife cried. ‘Go call the 
Guards while I wait here to see that she does not escape ! ’ 

“I ran out of the castle in hopes that I might bring the 
Guards and place them in the room before the old witch 
returned. But try as hard as I could, I could not find a Guard 

1101] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


•HB ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ - " 

anywhere; they had all gone to parties or were off on their 
vacations, so I ran back to the castle. ‘We will capture the 
Witch ourselves!’ I cried as I ran into the Witch’s room.” 

“I expected to see Mrs. Tiptoe sitting there with a stern 
expression on her face, just waiting for the Witch’s return, but 
what was my surprise and consternation to see the Witch her- 
self leering at me with her wicked smile. 

“The Witch told me I was the only one who knew for sure 
she was not the Princess, so she would send me in search of 
Mrs. Tiptoe. ‘For,’ said the wicked creature, ‘by the time 
you find your wife, you will have learned better than to tell 
anyone that I am not the Princess! ’” 

“And,” continued the Dancing Master, “without saying 
another word she opened her Magic Umbrella and pointed her 
crooked cane at me. I was forced to step into the Magic 
Umbrella. As I did so it shot out of the window so fast I could 
scarcely catch my breath. Over the town of Nite I flew and 
over the mountains I soared, until finally the Magic Umbrella 
lit upon the ground miles and miles away from everybody. It 
was days and days before I met anyone to talk to — awfully 
lonely life, but since then I have heard from people in different 
towns that the wicked creature still rules the City of Nite ! ” the 
Dancing Master finished, “but I have never ventured back 
there since she made me fly from the place.” 

“And how long is it since you left the City of Nite?” 
Gran’ma inquired. 


1 102 1 



[ I was forced to step into the Magic Umbrella.” (page 102) 




TIPTOE, THE DANCING MASTER, USES HIS MAGIC UMBRELLA 
B H- 

The Dancing Master looked at the handle of his umbrella. 
“I have put a notch on the handle for each year,” he replied, 
and when he had counted them he said “Seventy-six years!” 

“And you have never been able to find your wife?” asked 
Gran’pa. 

The Dancing Master shook his head sadly. 

“If we ever get to the City of Nite I will tweek the nose 
of that wicked Witch!” cried Gran’ma, as she snapped her 
fingers in the air. 

“And if I have a good chance,” said the Soft-Voiced Cow, 
who had wandered up and had listened to the Dancing Master’s 
story, “I will raise my heels and upset her!” 

“I do not know what to suggest,” said the Dancing Master. 
“Perhaps it would be best if we do not return to the City of 
Nite, for the wicked creature may work harm to us all ! ” 

“I shall return to the City of Nite,” said the Princess, as 
she stamped her foot, “for it is my throne and I will have it 
back!” 

“And I will go with you,” Gran’pa cried, “and help you 
regain your throne ! ” 

“We’ll all go!” Gran’ma cried, jumping to her feet and 
smoothing out her apron. 

“ It is a long hard road ! ” said the Dancing Master doubt- 
fully. “Why not live here in the mountains where we shall 
not be troubled, for I myself have lived here for the last ten 
years and it is very agreeable ! ” 

r 103 1 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


•h s i ■■ -™ -■ -■ 

They followed the Dancing Master as he led the way up 
over the rocks until they came to a level place, at the back of 
which was a Cave. 

The Dancing Master, with timber which he had hewn from 
the trees, had made the front part of a tiny Cottage, with a 
wide piazza to fit the opening of the Cave. 

“This has been my home for ten years!” he said, “and the 
absence of Mrs. Tiptoe from it is all that keeps my happiness 
from being complete ! ” 

When all had entered the little Cottage Cave, the Dancing 
Master set the table and with Gran’ma’s help made tea. 

When all were seated about the room (with the exception 
of the Soft-Voiced Cow, who was too large to enter the tiny 
doorway) the Princess said to Mr. Tiptoe, “Tell me of my 
father and mother. What did they think when they heard that 
I had changed into a wicked looking Witch 4 ?” 

“Your dear mother, the Queen, came to the City of Nite 
at once,” the Dancing Master answered, “but the Witch who 
pretended to be you would not see her, saying that it would 
not do to see her mother as she was too ugly; so your mother 
returned without seeing the wicked creature at all ! ” 

“I am sure your Mamma would have known it was not 
you!” said Janey. 

During all this time Johnny had been very thoughtful. 
Presently he asked, “When you traveled in the Magic 
Umbrella, how did you guide it?” 

1104] 


TIPTOE, THE DANCING MASTER, USES HIS MAGIC UMBRELLA 
■* «== ' ■ H H- 

“The first time I rode in it,” the Dancing Master answered, 
“I did not guide it. I came down without any thought of 
where I was going, but as there was not a thing near by, I 
stepped back into the Magic Umbrella and wished it would 
fly to a town, and sure enough it flew there ! All you have to 
do,” he continued, “is to sit in it and wish it to go some- 
where ! ” 

“Then,” said Johnny, “I have a suggestion! Let us all 
sit in the umbrella and wish it to take us to the City of Nite ! ” 

“That’s a fine idea! ” cried the Princess, clapping her hands. 
“Let us go there immediately!” 

The Dancing Master carried the Magic Umbrella out upon 
the level place in front of the Cottage-Cave. Then he stood and 
scratched his head. 

“Can we all get into it*?” he wondered. 

It was scarcely large enough for them all, even if they sat 
upon the edges, and while they were all squeezing into the 
Magic Umbrella the Soft-Voiced Cow walked up. 



[ 105 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 

■u a ■■ ■■ — » «• 

“What about the Soft-Voiced Cow!” cried Janey. 

“I shall not leave her behind if we never get to the City of 
Nite, and if we never get back our Flying Boat!” cried 
Gran’ma, as she scrambled out of the Magic Umbrella. 

“Nor I either!” Gran’pa exclaimed as he too hopped from 
the Magic Umbrella. 

Johnny and Janey followed them, and they all went over 
to the Soft-Voiced Cow and sat down on the grass. 

“You may spoil everything!” said the Soft-Voiced Cow. 
“Please do not think of me! Get into the umbrella and go 
with the Princess to the City of Nite and I will follow as best 
lean!” 

“Shan’t do it!” said Gran’ma firmly. 

“Wouldn’t think of it!” cried Gran’pa. 

“I have it!” cried the Dancing Master. “I hate to leave 
the Soft-Voiced Cow here, so if the Princess will excuse me, I 
will journey afoot with you and she can wish herself in the 
City of Nite!” 

“I believe it would be best for the Princess to wish herself 
with her Mamma!” said Janey. “Then her Mamma and 
Daddy can advise her what to do!” 

“Your advice is good,” said the Princess, and kissing them 
all goodbye, she stepped into the Magic Umbrella and flew 
up over the mountains leaving the little group of friends watch- 
ing her with tear-dimmed eyes. She was such a good, dear, 
sweet, beautiful Princess that they hated to see her go. 

1 106 ] 


TIPTOE, THE DANCING MASTER, USES HIS MAGIC UMBRELLA 
•H ^=" - ■' — ' ==»*■ 

“I have a few things to pack,” said the Dancing Master, 
“but I shall soon catch up with you. Keep to the right on all 
paths up over the mountain and I shall soon be along ! ” 

Johnny took the lead, then came Gran’ma, Janey and 
Gran’pa. Up, up they toiled; up so high they could look back 
and see the valley stretched far below them like a picture map. 

At one place they came to a waterfall which dashed straight 
out of the solid rock and fell for hundreds of feet in a roar of 
snow-white water. 

The trees about the side of the river had soft green foliage, 
different from any trees they had ever seen before. 

Presently, as they had traveled far and the climb had been 
very steep, they decided it would be well to rest and wait for 
the Dancing Master to catch up with them. 

“I’m getting hungry!” Gran’ma said, “I didn’t eat much 
at the Dancing Master’s house ! ” 

“I wish I had a mince pie in my pocket!” said Gran’pa, 
winking slyly at Janey. 

Johnny walked over to where the river ran smoothly before 
it again plunged down the mountain side. 

“Come here!” he cried excitedly. “Look at the strange 
fish!” 

Gran’pa, Janey and Gran’ma came running to the edge of 
the stream, but the Soft-Voiced Cow continued eating the vel- 
vety grass where she had first stopped. It was the most deli- 
cious grass she had tasted in a long, long time. 

U07] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


“Perhaps we can catch some,” said Gran’ma, “and fry them 
for our supper!” 

Johnny felt through his pockets. “I had a fishing line in 
one of my pockets ! ” he said. 



“You used the line on the Flying Machine!” said Janey. 
“Oh, isn’t that too bad!” 

“Here’s the hook!” said Johnny, as he turned his pocket 
wrong side out and showed them the hook fastened in the cloth. 

Gran’pa took his pocket knife and cut the hook out of 
Johnny’s pocket. 

“I have some string,” Gran’pa said. “I know it always 
comes in handy, so I put a lot in my pocket before Gran’ma 
and I started up here ! ” 


[108] 


TIPTOE, THE DANCING MASTER, USES HIS MAGIC UMBRELLA 


■ ■■■ - » *■ 

Gran’pa cut a pole and fixed the line while Johnny found 
a few worms under a stone. 

At the first cast of the line into the water Gran’pa pulled 
out a lovely fish. It had a blue head. The body was white, 
with a round yellow spot on each side. 



Gran’pa caught three more like the first and then six brown 
fish, round and flat with one side of them a golden yellow. 

While Johnny and Gran’pa were building the fire and 
cutting sticks to broil the fish on, Janey found some worms and 
caught five queer fish with holes right through them. 

“Aren’t they queer 1 ?” she cried as she put her fingers 
through the holes and carried them over to Johnny. 

Gran’ma caught four very fat fish which looked more like 
balls than fish. 

“I don’t believe these are good to eat,” she said as she 

[ 109 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


brought them over to the fire. “They feel so light and empty 
and puffy!” 

Gran’ pa and Johnny had by this time fixed the first fish 
upon the sticks and they were beginning to broil. 

Gran’ma sniffed the air. “ Smells like they might be good, 
but they don’t smell like fish!” she said. 

When the fish were done, Gran’pa and Johnny turned 
them over on a clean white stone. “Eggs!” Johnny shouted. 

Indeed the first fish were nothing more nor less than ordi- 
nary eggs. 

The other brown fish, one side of which was golden yellow, 
turned out to be brown bread and butter when it was broiled. 

Janey’s fish turned out to be doughnuts, and Gran’ma’s 
changed to cream puffs when placed before the fire. 

“This is fit for a king!” Gran’ma cried as she sampled the 
egg fish. 

“I wonder why Mr. Tiptoe doesn’t come,” Gran’pa said. 
“He must have packed up quite a load! Guess I’ll run down 
the mountain and help him along!” 

“Indeed you won’t!” cried Gran’ma as she caught his coat 
tails. 

“You don’t know when old Jingles the Magician may 
catch up with us ! I think now that we have finished our din- 
ners, it would be best if we hurried on ! ” 

“Yes, let’s go on ! ” Johnny suggested. “Mr. Tiptoe knows 
the way and will soon catch up with us ! ” 

rno] 


CHAPTER IX 


Johnny and Janey Grow Very Tall and Have Some 
Strange Adventures 

T HE path led up over a ledge in the mountain, revealing 
a pretty little valley between the high cliffs on either 
side. The grass under their feet was soft as velvet as 
they walked toward a tiny white bridge over a brook. 

“This ought to be good ground for growing potatoes!” 
said Gran’pa, stopping to gaze about him at the charming 
valley. 

Gran’ma was ahead and had started across the little bridge 
when the rest saw her trip and almost fall. She managed to 
save herself by catching the railing, and the others, as they ran 
toward her, heard a bell tinkling up one side of the cliff. 

“ Some mean person stretched a wire across the bridge and I 
tripped over it!” Gran’ma cried, as she showed the others the 
offending wire. 

Johnny caught hold of it to pull it loose, but gave a whoop 
and started jumping up and down. 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


•H U- - - - = »*• 

The bell up the cliff tinkled each time Johnny jumped. 

Janey, wishing to help her brother, caught Johnny’s hands 
to pull them from the tiny wire, and with a cry she too began 
hopping up and down and shouting for help. 

As Gran’ma reached for Janey, Gran’pa pushed her aside. 
“ Don’t touch them ! ” he yelled. “ It’s an electric wire ! Stand 
back ! ” And with this Gran’pa took the crooked handle of his 
cane and jerked the wire from Johnny’s hands. 

Johnny and Janey sat down with a bump upon the tiny 
bridge. 

“O — oh Brud,” Janey laughed. “Wasn’t that funny!” 

“It’s funny, now,” answered her brother, “but it wasn’t 
pleasant when I first touched the wire ! It felt as if I was being 
stretched out about six feet tall!” 

“You are getting longer!” Gran’ma cried, as she helped 
Johnny to his feet. 

“Look at Janey!” he laughed. “Her dress is getting too 
short for her! Ha! Ha!” 

“I don’t see anything funny about it ! ” Gran’pa said reprov- 
ingly. “In fact, it may be very serious!” 

Johnny sobered up and twisted about to see himself. Both 
Johnny and Janey had grown two feet taller and were still 
growing. 

Their clothes were far too short to cover them and they 
looked ridiculous. Janey began crying as the Soft Voiced Cow 
caught up with them. 


[M2] 



The Soft- Voiced Cow jumped three feet in the air and started across 
the valley kicking her heels and mooing, (page 112) 



JOHNNY AND JANEY GROW TALL AND HAVE STRANGE ADVENTURES 


“Whatever in the world has happened?” she asked as she 
sat down upon the wire. 

Gran’pa cried “LOOK OUT!” but he was too late. The 
Soft-Voiced Cow jumped three feet in the air and started across 
the valley, kicking her heels and mooing, while the tiny wire 
wrapped itself about her tail. 

With Gran’pa in the lead, waving his cane, they all ran 
after the Soft Voiced Cow. 

“Wait a minute!” Gran’pa shouted. “I’ll pull it off with 
my cane! WAIT A MINUTE!” 

But the Soft-Voiced Cow continued running until the wire 
became tangled in a bush and was pulled from her tail. 

When she was free the Soft-Voiced Cow rolled head over 
heels and turned a complete somersault before she sat up and 
looked around wonderingly. 

“I do believe I lost my cud!” she exclaimed as Gran’pa 
and the children came up to her. 

“Your cud!” Janey exclaimed in wonderment. 

“Yes, my chewing-gum!” replied the Soft-Voiced Cow. 
“All cows have cuds for chi 

“Perhaps you left it at 
the Little Man’s house ! ” 

Janey suggested. 

“No! TheSoft-Voiced 
Cow wasn’t in the house!” Gran’ma said, as she joined the 
group. 

[113] 



THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


«• &■ ■■ ■ = - ■ . ■■■. ■== 

“Look in all your pockets!” Johnny suggested. 

“Maybe you swallowed it,” Gran’pa remarked. 

“ Oh, maybe I did! ” the Soft-Voiced Cow replied. “Some- 
times I do when I’m excited! Yes, here it is ! ” and with a con- 
tented sigh the Soft- Voiced Cow began chewing. 

Johnny and Janey had stopped growing by this time and 
it was well they had, for their clothes were now so tight they 
were very uncomfortable. 

“Now, everyone keep away from the wire!” Gran’pa 
advised, pointing to it with his stick. “Let us get away from 
here as fast as we can and watch our steps from now on!” 

“It’s funny the Soft-Voiced Cow doesn’t grow taller!” 
Johnny said to Janey as they followed the others across the 
valley. “She hasn’t grown a bit! ” 

“I am glad she hasn’t,” Janey replied, “for it certainly is 
uncomfortable to be so tall ! ” 

Janey was a head taller than Gran’ma, and Johnny was 
still taller than she was. Their stockings came nowhere near 
their knees. 

“I thought I heard a bell tinkling when we touched the 
wire ! ” Gran’ma said as they walked along. 

“So did I,” the Soft-Voiced Cow laughed. “When I did 
not have the wire fastened about my tail ! ” 

As the travelers came around the bend of the mountain and 
left the little valley, they saw before them a little hut such as 
one sees at fair-grounds and pleasure resorts. 

[ 114 ] 


JOHNNY AND JANEY GROW TALL AND HAVE STRANGE ADVENTURES 


A queer little man wearing a stove pipe hat leaned over the 
counter at the front of the hut and smiled at them. “Was it 
you who rang the bell?” he inquired. 

“I guess all of us rang it!” Gran’ma replied, for she saw 
the little man was going to be agreeable. 

The little man turned and looked at the dial at the side of 
the hut; the indicator pointed to four. 

“You rang the bell four times,” he said in a matter of fact 
voice, “so you get four cigars!” and he handed out four large 
black cigars. 

“I don’t smoke!” said the Soft-Voiced Cow, with a laugh. 

“Nor I either!” Gran’ma. Janey and Johnny chimed in 
together. 

“ Then this gentleman may have them ! ” said the man as 
he handed the four fat cigars to Gran’pa. “Someone has to 
have them, you know,” he said, “for each time the bell rings 
I have to give someone a cigar! ” 

Gran’pa put the cigars in his pocket. “I’ll smoke them 
after a while!” he said. 

“But they’ll melt!” cried the man. “You must eat them 
right away!” 

Gran’pa pulled the cigars from his pocket, then with a 
smile he handed one to each of the children and to Gran’ma. 

The cigars were made of chocolate candy. “Won’t you 
have one?” Gran’pa asked, offering the remaining cigar to the 
Soft-Voiced Cow. 


[115] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


■H i< ■ ; . ■ . =8ff 

“No, thanks,” the Soft-Voiced Cow replied, “I hardly ever 
eat candy,' ” 

“I have some nice buttered pop-corn!” the man suggested. 

“I might have a basket of pop-corn, if you have it to spare ! ” 
the Soft-Voiced Cow laughed. 

“You shall have it! ” the man replied, as he reached behind 
the counter and lifted a basket of pop-corn to the Soft-Voiced 
Cow. 

The Soft-Voiced Cow took one mouthful of the pop-corn 
and then blew it out of her mouth. 

Gran’ma looked at her in surprise. 

“It has mustard on it!” the Soft-Voiced Cow said, as the 
tears streamed out of her eyes and she sneezed two or three 
times. 

“ Mustard ! ” the man at the counter exclaimed, looking at 
the cow with a queer expression. “Of course it has mustard 
on it ! I put it on to keep the pop-corn hot ! ” 

Gran’pa winked at Johnny. 

“Have you any ice cream cones?” Janey asked. 

“Plenty!” the man replied. “What flavor?” 

“Strawberry!” Janey said. “Chocolate!” cried Johnny. 
“.Maple ! ” Gran’ma said. “ Peach ! ” said Gran’pa. 

“Dear me! I haven’t any of those flavors! I never heard 
of them!” And the man leaned upon the counter and 
scratched his head. 

“Never heard of chocolate!” exclaimed Johnny, 
r no i 


JOHNNY AND JANEY GROW TALL AND HAVE STRANGE ADVENTURES 


•H B W +- 

“What flavors have you*?” asked Janey. 

“I have Plumpdoodle, Wiggledoos, Kneebud and Lop- 
jiggle!” 

“Let me try a Lopjiggle!” said Janey. 

“Plumpdoodle!” Gran’ma decided. 

“Wiggledoos!” cried Johnny. “They must be fine!” 

“ I believe I will have a Kneebud ! ” said Gran’pa. 

The man handed out the different ice cream cones, and 
although the flavor of each was different from anything they 
had ever tasted the travelers thought them fine. 

Just then the little bell up on the side of the cliff began 
tinkling. 

“Hello!” said the man. “Someone else gets a cigar!” 

They all ran to where they could look down into the little 
valley and there they saw old Jingles, the wicked Magician, 
holding on to the electric wire and turning flip-flops in his 
efforts to get free. 

The Soft-Voiced Cow began switching her tail nervously. 

“It’s Old Jingles, the Magician!” cried all in one voice. 

“I have been in hopes I should land him on the wire!” 
said the man. “Do you know,” he explained in a confidential 
tone, “that is the reason I started this place in the mountains! 
Here, Gran’pa,” he continued, “you may have his cigar. All 
of you help yourselves to anything you wish. I am through 
with the business now that old Jingles is on the wire ! ” 

“What do you intend doing*?” asked Gran’pa. 

[ 117 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


• H 8 ■ — — » * • 

“Nothing,” answered the man. “I’m through now, and 
I’m going back to the City of Nite! ” 

The' bell kept on tinkling and the indicator on the dial kept 
whirling around in a circle. 

“Take all the cigars you wish!” the man called to Johnny 
and Janey, who were behind the counter. “He’s ringing up 
quite a lot!” 

“I am glad your wire stopped the wicked creature,” said 
Gran’ma, “for he was after us and would soon have overtaken 
us. He took the children’s Flying Machine and he took 
Gran’pa’s Flying Boat, and he is the one who put the Princess 
of Nite into the Green Jar!” 

“Put the lovely Princess in the Green Jar!” the man 
exclaimed. 

“Yes!” Gran’pa answered, as they stood and watched the 
antics of the Magician. “And Gran’ma rescued her! The 
Princess is on her way to the City of Nite now, in the Dancing 
Master’s Umbrella!” 



r ns i 


JOHNNY AND JANEY GROW TALL AND HAVE STRANGE ADVENTURES 


“Not Tiptoe’s Magic Umbrella?” the man asked, in sur- 
prise. 

“Yes,” answered Gran’pa. “His name is Tiptoe and he 
was the Princess’ Dancing Master.” 

“And my brother!” said the Little Man. 

“Sh!” he added in a whisper, as he glanced hastily about 
as if to see that no others were listening. “It’s a secret! I was 
the Chief of Detectives in the City of Nite when the Princess 
disappeared, and I had to leave when I found out that the 
wicked creature who claimed to be the Princess really was a 
Witch! She made it so unpleasant for me that I decided to 
go in search of Old Jingles the Magician, to see if he would 
help me find the real Princess. Excuse me a moment,” and he 
went back of the counter where the children were eating the 
strange ice creams with large spoons. 

Opening a box with a key which he wore on his watch chain, 
he studied the figures on a number of dials; then when he had 
written the figures upon a piece of paper, he handed it to 
Johnny. 

“Can you add?” he asked. 

Johnny ran his eyes over the figures. “Nine hundred and 
fifty-eight!” he said, as he returned the paper to the Chief of 
Detectives. 

“Not half enough!” said the Chief of Detectives, as he 
pulled six little levers. There was a steady buzz-buzz that 
grew louder and louder every minute. 

[ 119 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


•*« ■ ■ = — — : ti ff 

Johnny watched the hands on the dials climb and climb. 

“Fifteen hundred and ninety-eight!” he cried out, pres- 
ently. 

“That’s better!” said the Chief of Detectives. “Give the 
Soft-Voiced Cow some of that pop-corn in the green box; it has 
no mustard on it ! ” 

“ He’s hopping to beat the band ! ” Gran’ma cried delight- 
edly, as the Chief of Detectives came up to where they were 
watching the Magician. 

“I should think he would!” said the man. “I turned on 
the current twice as hard ! ” 

Just then they saw the Dancing Master coming over the 
hill into the valley. 

“Here he comes now!” cried Gran’pa. “It’s your brother, 
Tiptoe ! ” 

“All stay here!” cried the Chief of Detectives. “Don’t 
move from this spot ! ” And with this he set off at a good speed 
across the valley to meet his brother. 


[120] 


s 



G RAN’MA and Gran’pa saw the Tiptoe Brothers throw 
• their arms around each other’s necks in their joy at 
meeting, but they walked in a wide circle around the 
spot where Jingles the Magician was dancing in his efforts to 
free himself from the wire. 

“I should have been sooner,” said the Dancing Master to 
Gran’pa and Gran’ma, “but just as I started to leave the Cot- 
tage-Cave I saw a Flying Boat coming across the country, and 
I knew from your story that the wicked Jingles must be in it.” 
“What did he do?” asked the children. 

“He left his Flying Boat out in front of the Cottage-Cave 
and came inside, and while he was snooping around I slipped 
out the back way, went round the Cottage-Cave, and touched 
[ 121 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


-H B . .. -m -.. 

a match to his Flying Boat! He will have to walk from now 
on!” And the Dancing Master did a graceful little dance 
step and snapped his fingers. 

“Oh dear!” Gran’ma cried as she sat down hard upon the 
grass. 

“Whatever is the matter?” the Tiptoe Brothers cried, as 
Gran’pa helped Gran’ma to her feet. 

“It was our Flying Boat!” replied Gran’pa quietly, “and 
the only way we had of ever getting back home to the Earth ! ” 

The Dancing Master was crestfallen. “I am always put- 
ting my foot into it! ” he exclaimed. 

“Please do not worry,” said Gran’ma, seeing how sorry the 
Dancing Master felt. “You did just what you thought was 
best! ” 

“Indeed I did!” answered the Dancing Master. “But 
that does not bring back the Flying Boat.” 

“What do you intend doing with the wicked Magician?” 
asked Gran’pa. 

“Nothing!” replied the Chief of Detectives. “He is very 
well off where he is, and he will never be able to do any mischief 
as long as he holds on to the wire, or,” he added with a sly wink 
at the Soft-Voiced Cow, “until the wire lets go of him! ” 

“I feel sorry for him!” said Janey. 

“Well you need not, Sis!” Johnny cried. “Look at me 
and you will see about how you look! And it is all the wicked 
Jingles’ fault!” 


[ 122 I 


THE TIPTOE BROTHERS AND THE SLIDE RAFT 
■‘■li t ■ un 

“Why, what in the world is the matter?” asked the Danc- 
ing Master, noticing for the first time that Janey and Johnny 
had grown so much taller. 

“We caught hold of the wire!” replied Johnny. 

“And it made you grow so much taller?” cried the Dancing 
Master in astonishment. 

“Have they grown taller?” asked the Chief of Detectives. 

“Certainly! ” the Dancing Master answered. “They were 
only children and were no taller than myself when they left 
me three hours ago ! ” 

Without saying a word, the Chief of Detectives motioned 
to the children and the others to follow him, and going to the 
counter he took a small case from under the counter, and from 
it a tiny bellows. 

He then blew a puff of powder over the children and in a 
short time they had resumed their normal size. 

Then, putting the case in his pocket, the Chief of Detec- 
tives said it would be best for them to try and reach the City 
of Nite as soon as possible. 

“We shall have the old Witch to contend with when we 
reach there,” he reminded the others, “and perhaps even now 
the Princess is under the power of the wicked creature!” 

“Let us hasten!” cried Gran’ pa. 

The road now led down the mountain side. A short dis- 
tance from the Chief of Detective’s hut it wound through a 
deep forest, which made the traveling cool and comfortable. 

[123 7 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


•♦■ a ■ ■■■■ - ■ ■ — 1 1 1 *>•»• 

At last they came to a section of the forest where all the 
trees were of pine. Here there was a thick carpet of pine 
needles that had dropped from the boughs for years. 

They were smooth, soft and slippery. 

“Let’s get a board and slide down the mountain on the pine 
needles!” said Gran’pa, noticing that there was a clear space 
beneath the trees, which slanted straight down the mountain 
side. 

“ There are no boards about ! ” said Gran’ma. 

“I’ll run back to the hut up the mountain and get some! ” 
the Chief of Detectives volunteered, and away he started. 

“Wait there for me!” he called as he disappeared up the 
path. 

The party sat down to wait the return of the Chief of 
Detectives. 

“It was funny the electric wire did not affect the Soft- 
Voiced Cow! ” mused Johnny. “It surely made Janey and me 
grow like weeds ! ” 

“I’ll ask my brother about it when he returns!” replied the 
Dancing Master. 

It was not long before they heard the Chief of Detectives 
singing a yodel song, and soon he came into view over the 
rocks, carrying a pile of boards, a hammer, some nails and a 
long piece of rope. 

As Gran’pa was an expert carpenter he offered to fix the 
sliding boards. 


rmj 





Down, down, the Slide Raft sped, until it was going so fast that 
its occupants could not talk, (page 125) 



THE TIPTOE BROTHERS AND THE SLIDE RAFT 


1 ' ■ 

“Let’s build one big sled! ” he suggested, “and then we can 
all be together.” 

“A good idea!” agreed the Tiptoe Brothers. 

So Gran’pa hammered the boards together and tied them in 
such a manner that soon he had a fine looking Slide Raft. 

“We should have a rudder to guide it with,” Gran’pa said 
as he stood and studied his work, “ for who knows but that the 
mountain may take a few sudden turns farther down!” 

So Gran’pa with his jack knife sawed away at a small tree 
until he had cut it down, and with the help of the rope and 
some small pieces of boards he made a rudder. 

They all sat down on the Slide Raft, and with everybody 
pushing and shoving the Slide Raft started down the mountain 
side, gaining momentum as it went over the slippery needles. 

The Soft-Voiced Cow sat in the center of the Slide Raft 
and the others about her. Gran’pa stood at the rudder to guide 
the Slide Raft should they come to a sudden turn. 

It was well that Gran’pa had thought of the rudder, for 
when they had slid down the mountain for about a mile, and 
the Slide Raft was speeding along at a terrific pace, they came 
to where the open space beneath the trees turned sharply to the 
right. 

Gran’pa swung the rudder round as hard as he could and 
turned the Slide Raft just in time to escape the trees at the 
side. 

Down, down, the Slide Raft sped, until it was going so 

[ 125 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


-H S ■ - ■ -"= 

fast that its occupants could not talk. The wind whistled past 
them like a gale, and if it had not been for the weight of the 
Soft-Voiced Cow they would have been swept from the Slide 
Raft by the force of the wind. 

Just as they were nearing the bottom of the mountain the 
ground took a dip. Down this the frail Slide Raft shot sud- 
denly, and up the other side. 

Gran’ma and Janey screamed as the Slide Raft left the 
ground at the top of the little mound and plunged straight 
down for a hundred feet or more. 

As good fortune had it, the path of the Slide Raft seemed 
to have been made for just such tobogganing. At the bottom 
of the fearful drop the ground fell away in a graceful curve, 
so, after hitting the ground at the bottom of the mountain, the 
Slide Raft went about five hundred feet out across a small 
pond at the edge of the pine forest, skipping across the water 
like a skipper rock thrown by a boy, and came to rest a short 
distance from the opposite bank. 

As the Slide Raft stopped, the Soft-Voiced Cow fell over 
on her side and closed her eyes. 

Gran’pa jumped from the raft and pulled it into shore, 
while the Tiptoe Brothers filled their hats with water which 
they dashed over the head of the Soft-Voiced Cow. 

“She has fainted!” Gran’ma said. 

“Let’s get her ashore!” Johnny cried. “Everybody take 
hold!” 


[ 126 ] 


THE TIPTOE BROTHERS AND THE SLIDE RAFT 


- = ■ ' - ■ ■ ISH - 

It took a lot of pulling and tugging, but finally they got 
the Soft-Voiced Cow up the bank and pulled grass for a pillow. 

“I wish I had my smelling salts! 5 ' cried Gran’ma. 

The water did not seem to help the Soft-Voiced Cow, and 
she rolled her eyes in an alarming manner. 

“She may start kicking any minute ! 55 Gran’pa warned. 
“Don't get too close to her heels! I had a cow that acted the 
same way once ! 55 

Sure enough, the Soft-Voiced Cow did begin kicking, and 
as they drew away from her she turned her head towards 
Gran’ma with a pathetic look in her eyes. 

“I'm going to hold her head ! 55 cried Gran’ma, forgetting 
in her anxiety that her friend was only a Cow. 

Gran’ma’s soft hand smoothed the Soft-Voiced Cow’s fore- 
head, and the Cow, seeming to feel Gran’ma’s affection, placed 
one ot her front feet on Gran’ma’s lap. Gran’ma sat holding 
the Cow’s foot and smoothing her brow, meanwhile talking to 
her in a gentle, soothing manner. 

The others, who stood by watching, had to brush the tears 
from their eyes. 

“Why not puff your magic powder on her ? 55 Janey cried 
to the Chief of Detectives, 

“ It will only cure magic ! ” cried that good little man as he 
took the tiny bellows from his pocket. 

Johnny jumped forward and blew a generous puff upon 
the Soft-Voiced Cow’s head. 


[127] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


•US - ■■ ■ 

The Soft-Voiced Cow seemed to shrink in size and turned 
a different color. 

“Now, Mister! You HAVE done it! ” Janey cried as she 
stamped her foot at Johnny. 

Johnny stood as if frozen, watching the Soft-Voiced Cow. 

“She’s got a HAND ! ” Gran’ma cried excitedly. “Two of 
them!” 

As the others drew closer they saw that their friend, the 
Soft-Voiced Cow, was turning into a woman. 

The Tiptoe Brothers uttered glad cries, and the Dancing 
Master threw his arms about the woman. 

“My wife!” he cried as he kissed her. 

“It’s Jenny!” cried the Chief of Detectives, turning a 
radiant face to Gran’pa. 

“There! You see?” Johnny said, as he and Janey turned 
their backs on the reunited pair. “If the magic wire could not 
make the Soft- Voiced Cow grow taller it was because she 
already had been magicked. So I remembered that the powder 
cured magic, and there you are!” 

“Johnny, you’re a dear! ” 

Janey answered, as she gave 
him a great hug. “You al- 
ways know just what to do, 
all the time!” 

“Ah, shucks ! ” Johnny replied. 

“I did it without much thinking!” 

[ 128 ] 



THE TIPTOE BROTHERS AND THE SLIDE RAFT 


•H8 -■ i - — ■ - 

“Well, you did it, anyway ! ” his sister insisted. “To think 
she was a lady all this time and we did not know it ! ” 

“ She was a very ladylike Cow, at least ! ” said Johnny. 

Mr. and Mrs. Tiptoe came up to Johnny and Janey and 
thanked them for what they had done. 

“It was Johnny!” said Janey, generously, as the pretty 
lady kissed her. 

“It was Janey who suggested it!” said Johnny as he bash- 
fully received Mrs. Tiptoe’s reward. 

The happy little Dancing Master told his wife all that had 
happened since the Princess and she had disappeared, and that 
now the Princess was safe at home. 

“At least, I hope she is,” he added. “ She left us and flew 
off for the City of Nite in the Magic Umbrella. Now tell us 
of your strange adventure ! ” 

“There is not much to tell,” Mrs. Tiptoe said, as the happy 
party walked over the fields. “When you left me in the rooms 
of the Witch she was hiding behind a door all the time, and 
just as you left she pushed me into the Magic Umbrella and 
jumped in with me. We flew out of the window. 

“As you now know, it does not take the Magic Umbrella 
long to get where you wish it to go, or at least it did not take 
us long to get to where it settled to the ground. I could scarcely 
stand when we got there. The wicked creature struck me with 
her cane and said a strange rhyme, and I did not know a thing 
until I awakened with my head in Gran’ma’s lap.” 

[1291 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


►H 8 — • •_ , , ■ ."r-Ti: r , 

“How does it come that you are here, too?” she asked of 
the Chief of Detectives. 

“ I started to tell Gran’ma and Gran’pa up on the mountain 
a while ago,” he replied, “but I got off the subject. Now I 
will tell the story, strange as it may seem.” 

“Here comes the Magic Umbrella!” cried Gran’ma, as she 
pointed to a speck in the air. 

“It’s the Princess!” cried the Detective. “No, it isn’t, 
either,” he added as the Magic Umbrella drew closer. 

It proved to be the General of the Guard, and when he had 
embraced the Tiptoe Brothers and Mrs. Tiptoe he was intro- 
duced to the rest of the party. 

“The Princess is quite safe!” he exclaimed, as all started 
to ask after her, “and she has sent me to try and find you and 



C 130 j 



Gran’ma, Janey and Mrs. Tiptoe rode in the Magic Umbrella 
and the men rode underneath, (page 131) 




CHAPTER XI 


Again We Meet the Princess, the Palace 
and the Magician 

T HE General of the Guard took a knapsack from his back 
and spread a large piece of silk upon the ground. Then 
with heavy twine, he fastened the four corners of the 
silk to the Magic Umbrella. 

“Gran’ma, Janey and Mrs. Tiptoe, you ladies can ride in 
the Magic Umbrella and we men will ride underneath,” he 
directed. And when all had taken their places, the General 
of the Guard told Gran’ma to wish the Magic Umbrella to fly 
to the Princess’ Castle, and away they started. 

The City of Nite was built upon a beautiful island and in 
the center stood the wonderful Castle, its tall spires and towers 
rising high above all the other buildings. 

As they approached the Castle, the Magic Umbrella settled 
upon one of the broad terraces. The Princess came running 
out to meet them as the party climbed out of the Magic 
Umbrella. 

Mrs. Tiptoe had to tell the Princess of her adventure as 
they went inside the Castle. 

“And to think you were the Soft-Voiced Cow,” laughed 
the Princess, “ and that none of us suspected it ! My, I am glad 
we are all safe and sound and home again ! ” 

tmi 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


•H 8 = 1 ,, #+<• 

“We are very glad too,” Gran’ma said, “but Gran’pa, 
Janey, Johnny and I are still very far from home!” 

“Oh, you will like it here,” the Princess laughed as she 
threw her arms about Gran’ma. “And I shall have you live 
here with me all the time in the Castle, for we owe everything 
to you ! ” 

“You saved the Princess from the Green Jar and charmed 
away the wicked magic from Mrs. Tiptoe!” exclaimed the 
General of the Guard. 

“We must keep you with us always,” the Princess said 
as the party walked into a great hall. “Now, Gran’pa,” she 
continued, “I will let Mr. Tiptoe show you and Johnny to 
your rooms, and when all have dressed we are going to have 
a nice little party all to ourselves. I will take Gran’ma and 
Janey and Mrs. Tiptoe to their rooms and we will meet you 
in the Banquet Hall very soon.” 

The Princess led Gran’ma, Janey and Mrs. Tiptoe to a 
wonderful room with ivory and gold beds. Beautiful draper- 
ies hung from the windows, and a merry little fountain tinkled 
in one corner of the room. 

“ Here are your clothes,” the Princess said, opening a closet 
and displaying rows and rows of wonderful silk and satin 
dresses. 

Janey’s eyes were the size of saucers. Some of the dresses 
were pink — and pink was her favorite color! 

“I had them all made to fit you and Janey,” she told 

[ 132 ] 


AGAIN WE MEET THE PRINCESS; THE PALACE AND THE MAGICIAN 

•♦«== - ■ ■■■. - - m-.. 

Gran’ma. “I am so sorry I did not know that Mrs. Tiptoe was 
to be with us, but she may have one of Janey’s dresses, I’m 
sure ! ” 

“ Indeed she may ! ” Janey cried. “ Oh, thank you so much, 
Your Majesty!” 

“Now, see here! ” cried the Princess, pretending to be very 
stern. “Do not ‘Your Majesty’ me! I am to be plain Nidia to ‘ 
all of you, so you must begin to get used to calling me that ! ” 

When the Princess, Mrs. Tiptoe, Gran’ma and Janey 
reached the Banquet Hall, Gran’pa, Johnny and the Tiptoe 
Brothers were there waiting for them. 

“ Whee ! How fine you all look ! ” Johnny cried, as he saw 
the beautiful silk and satin dresses. 

“You look fine, too!” Janey exclaimed. “All of you!” 

“How did the Princess know our measurements?” Johnny 
whispered to Janey as they took their seats at the table. 

“I don’t know,” Janey replied, rather puzzled. “Just 
see Gran’pa ! My, doesn’t he look nice in that purple velvet ! ” 

“We are very anxious to know how you got rid of the 
wicked Witch when you returned to the Castle,” Gran’ma said 
to the Princess. 

The Princess laughed a merry laugh and replied, “I am 
afraid you will be disappointed with my adventure, for when 
I left you upon the mountain side at Mr. Tiptoe’s Cottage- 
Cave I wished the Magic Umbrella to take me to my mother, 
but as I flew over the City of Nite I changed my mind. 

[ 133 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


♦a — — . ■ ==aM- 

“‘No,’ I said to myself, ‘I will go right to the Castle and 
face the wicked Witch!' 

“And so I wished to go to the Castle instead of to my 
mother. And when I climbed out of the Magic Umbrella I 
ran right into the Castle and it was empty! I went through 
all the rooms and found no one; the wicked Witch was not 
there at all ! ” 



“Did you go into the little room at the top of the Blue 
Tower?” Mr. Tiptoe asked. “That is where she was the day 
Mrs. Tiptoe and I found her.” 

“Yes, I went there, too,” the Princess replied, “and cob- 
webs were all over everything. I knew the wicked creature 
had not been there for months.” 

“For years, to be more exact,” interrupted the Chief of 
Detectives. 

“How do you know?” the Princess asked the Chief of 
Detectives in surprise. 

The Chief of Detectives explained. 

“I started to tell of my adventure to Gran’ma and the 

[ 134 ] 



AGAIN WE MEET THE PRINCESS, THE PALACE AND THE MAGICIAN 
•HB ■ m i 

others on the mountain side,” he said, “but I was so glad to 
see my brother coming across the meadow I forgot what I was 
saying.” 

“Tell us now! Perhaps you can clear up the mystery!” 
the Princess cried. “No one in the City of Nite could tell me 
anything! Please tell us all you know, and all about your 
adventure ! ” 

“But you had not finished telling us of your own expe- 
rience,” the Chief of Detectives answered. 

“There is very little more to tell,” said the Princess. 
“When I discovered that the wicked Witch was not in the 
Castle and that she had not been here for some time, I rang 
the Great Bell five times. This, as you know, is the signal for 
every one in the City of Nite to have a holiday. And when 
the good people heard the Great Bell pealing, they came 
running to the Castle and found me! That is all there is to 
tell, except that every thing inside the Castle had grown dread- 
fully musty, so I had everything cleaned, and new draperies 
and then I sent the General of the Guard in the Magic 
Umbrella to bring you here.” 

When the Princess had finished the Chief of Detectives 
told his story. 

“When the Princess disappeared,” he began, “I was away 
on my vacation and word did not reach me for four days. But 
you may rest assured that when I did hear I hurried back to 
the City of Nite as fast as possible. 

[ 135 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 

' ■ . ■ ..... ■ ■ — 11 8M 1 

“I asked everyone I met about the strange disappearance 
of the Princess, for I could not believe that the Princess had 
been changed into an old woman. No one could help me. 
People just stood around looking at one another as if they were 
stunned. At first I thought it unwise to visit this old Witch 
for fear she might find out that I distrusted her, but upon 
second thought I changed my plans and went to see her.” 

“I suppose I may tell our good friends of the secret 
passage?” the Chief of Detectives interrupted himself to ask 
the Princess, and being given permission he went on: 

“ There are secret passages built in the walls of the Castle 
which lead to many of the rooms, and by which anyone who 
knows how to open the secret doors may escape. Now I, of 
course, knew all the doors and all the buttons that open them, 
so I went through all the secret passages and from their peep- 
holes I looked into all the rooms. But I could never time my 
visits just right until about a year ago. 

“Then one day as I walked through one of the secret 
passages, I heard someone talking, so I hastily glued my eyes 
to the peephole, you may be sure. But when I looked through, 
I did not see the Witch in the room! Instead, there stood a 
queer man with a tall hat and a crooked stick. 

“I could not quite make out what he was saying, for he 
was only talking to himself and at times merely mumbled his 
words, but I learned enough to know that he had no business 
there.” 


[ 136 ] 


AGAIN WE MEET THE PRINCESS, THE PALACE AND THE MAGICIAN 


“Jingles the Magician!” cried the Princess, Gran’ma and 
Janey in one breath. 

“You are right,” continued the Chief of Detectives. “I 
heard him mutter something about a book of rhymes, and he 
played with a queer little pouch with tassels ! ” 

“The Magic Whistle!” cried Gran’pa and Johnny. 

“I don’t know what it was,” said the Chief of Detectives. 
“But as I watched the queer man he took off his tall hat and 
coat and put them in a closet; then he took out a white wig 
and a great cloak and bonnet and put them on. I saw then 
that he and the Witch were one and the same and I knew 
positively that neither was our beloved Princess. I did not 
know what to do! At first I thought of calling the people 
together and telling them of what I had seen, but then, 
thought I, ‘Should I do that, I may never discover what has 
become of the Princess.’ 

“So I watched at the secret passage for days and days 
until once again I was rewarded. There was the queer man 
again, sitting and reading a large book and trying to memorize 
some verses. Then I watched him until I saw him put on a 
pair of spectacles. He stared for a moment for all the world 
like a near-sighted person. Then he skipped up and down. 

“‘Someone is drinking my lemonade,’ he cried, looking 
through them. ‘Hooray! Now I will have someone else to 
work my magic on ! ’ And with this, he jumped upon his large 
book and flew right out of the window!” 

[ 137 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


■H fl r-- r— , - - ■ - ■■■■■■" g »» 

“It was Janey who drank at the lemonade spring!” cried 
Johnny. 

“I did not know that, of course,” said the Chief of Detec- 
tives. “However, when the wicked man left, I went into the 
room and looked about. In the pocket of the cloak which 
the Witch had worn, I discovered the tiny powder puff which 
Johnny puffed upon the Soft Voiced Cow, or upon Mrs. Tip- 
toe, I should have said ! I also found a tiny book of magic and 
a few brass buttons and other charms. 

“I took the powder puff, the tiny book of magic and the 
charms; I also made a drawing of the queer designs upon the 
floor. Then I left everything else just as I had found it and 
went home. 

“I studied the book of magic a long time before I finally 
tested out some magic myself. First, I copied the designs upon 
a large white rug then, following the directions in the little 
book, I placed the charms about as directed, then I puffed a bit 
of powder into a tin cup and touched a match to it. When 
the powder puffed up into the room, I went out of the door as 
fast as I could. But when I saw the room had cleared, I ven- 
tured back and found written upon the slate — I forgot to men- 
tion that one of the things called for in the book was a slate 
and pencil — ‘Top of Whippoorwill Mountain. Electric wires 
strung meadow. Capture!’ 

“I puzzled and puzzled over this message, and I tried the 
magic three times. The same message always came upon the 

[ 138 ] 


THE TIPTOE BROTHERS AND THE SLIDE RAFT 


^ H I- 

slate ! Then I decided to go to the top of Whippoorwill Moun- 
tain and see the wires, but there were no wires there! 

“‘Perhaps it means that I am to put the wires there,’ I 
thought. ‘At least I can try it!’ So I had the Royal Elec- 
trician fix up the wires about the meadow, and then I built the 
little hut and filled it with ice cream and pop corn and cigars, 
so that if I accidentally caught any innocent persons, I could 
give them candy cigars and pop corn and ice cream. And right 
there I stayed until, as you know, I caught old Jingles.” 

“You have caught old Jingles the Magician!” cried the 
Princess. 

“Yes,” Gran’ma laughed, “and he also caught Janey and 
Johnny and the Soft-Voiced Cow and myself!” 

“I had forgotten the Princess did not know that I had 
caught the wicked creature and that we left him jumping to 
beat the band and hanging on to the electric wire,” the Chief 
of Detectives said. Then, turning to the Princess, he con- 
tinued, “ I was careful to turn on the current so that he would 
have a good dose too ! ” 

“ I am truly glad we have all escaped from him,” the Prin- 
cess said and as all had finished eating by this time she asked 
Gran’ma, “How would you like to ride about the City of Nite 
and see the sights?” 

“Oh, let’s do!” Gran’ma cried, jumping up. “I have 
always wanted to go to a City and we never felt we had enough 
money to do so when we were upon the Earth!” 

[ 139 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


•MS - — — ■ ==8H- 

“Well, you will find everything in the City of Nite free 
to all of you,” laughed the Princess, “for everyone knows all 
about you and what you have done for us, so if you are all of 
the same mind we can start right now.” 

“Let’s walk!” said Gran’ma, when the Princess said some- 
thing about carriages. “ Then we can all be together and look 
in the shop windows and have lots more fun ! ” 

“I often walk about the town, or at least, I used to walk 
about, before I was put in the Green Jar,” the Princess replied. 

“It’s nice to get up from the table and not have to worry 
about doing the dishes,” said Gran’ma. “Let’s start right 
away Gran’pa, you’ll have to buy a bag of peanuts apiece. 
We always have peanuts when we go to town,” she explained 
to the Princess. 

“Had we better take an umbrella?” asked Gran’pa. “One 
usually carries an umbrella when one goes to town. It might 
rain.” 

“Perhaps it would be as well to take the Magic Umbrella 
with us,” the Princess laughed, although she could not under- 
stand just why Gran’pa should wish to carry one, for it very 
seldom rained in the beautiful City. 

So the happy visitors walked down the great steps of the 
Castle with the Princess and her old friends and into the 



[140] 



AGAIN WE MEET THE PRINCESS, THE PALACE AND THE MAGICIAN 
*Hfr= = ■■ 1 :---■■■■ = ■ ■ ■ ■ ■■■■■ ■ -■■■■■■ =g»-H 

shopping center of the City of Nite, where all the kindly faced 
people bowed to them all as they passed. 

The Princess stopped and talked with the people and gave 
presents to the little children whom they met. 

At the first store they came to Gran’pa tried to buy some 
peanuts, but the shopkeeper would not accept anything for 
them. 

“You couldn’t pay anyhow,” Johnny laughed. “You 
haven’t any Moon money, it’s all Earth money in your purse.” 

“To be sure it is,” Gran’pa replied. “I had forgotten 
that ! ” 

The Princess took them into all the ice cream parlors and 
candy stores in the City, and when they returned to the Castle 
all were loaded with bundles. 

As they neared the steps of the Castle, Gran’pa shouted, 
“Look at the crowd near the Castle door. “It must be people 
who have come to see you about something ! ” 

The Princess looked worried. “No,” she replied, “they 
would never crowd about the Castle door in such a disorderly 
manner. Something has happened ! ” 

Just as they started up the long flight of steps, the crowd 
separated and as the people fell back on either side a tall form 
dashed out of the doorway waving his crooked stick and shout- 
ing hoarsely. 

“Old Jingles, the Magician!” the Princess cried as she 
sank to the steps. 


[ 141 ] 



G RAN’MA, Janey and Mrs. Tiptoe rushed to the Prin- 
cess and, raising her between them, they half carried 
and half dragged her back down the marble steps. 
The Chief of Detectives, the Dancing Master, Johnny and 
Gran’pa sprang up the steps to meet the Magician. But the 
Chief of Detectives and Johnny caught their feet together and 
went tumbling to the foot of the hard stone steps, where they 
lay dazed. 

The Dancing Master, who was very active, sprang up the 
steps two at a time and met the Magician on the broad landing 
and attacked him, although he scarcely reached to the 
Magician’s waist. 


1142] 


GRAN’MA TWEAKS OLD JINGLES’ NOSE 


- B H- 

Old Jingles struck at the Dancing Master with his cane, but 
the Dancing Master dodged in under the blow and grappled 
with the Magician. 

The good people of Nite were terror stricken, and stood 
motionless as the two struggled together. 

Finally the Magician pulled his tiny bellows from his 
pocket and blew it toward the Dancing Master’s back, and the 
Dancing Master fell to the steps, just as Gran’pa struck the 
bellows from the Magician’s hand with his cane. 

With a roar of pain and rage the wicked Jingles swung his 
crooked stick at Gran’pa’s head. Gran’pa warded off the blow 
with his own polished cane and, using it as a sword, he jabbed 
old Jingles in the stomach. 

The Magician swung his large crooked stick again, and 
Gran’pa again poked him in the stomach, and then, as the 
wicked creature backed away, Gran’pa gave him a smart tap 
on the head, sending his tall hat spinning down the steps. 

The Princess had recovered and was watching the duel with 
fascination. Gran’ma was struggling between Janey and Mrs. 
Tiptoe. 

“ Let me go ! ” she cried. “ Let me get to him ! I’ll tweak his 
nose ! He sha’n’t hurt Gran’pa ! Let me go ! ” 

But Janey and Mrs. Tiptoe held her and tried to watch 
at the same time. 

“Why don’t the people help?” Gran’ma cried. “Let me 
go, I tell you! I’ll show him, the wicked old thing!” 

1 143 J 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


♦Hg====== ' - 1 " " J S **' 

Gran’pa had just swung his cane at the Magician’s head 
again hoping to finish him with one more blow, but the 
Magician stepped to one side and struck Gran’pa on the head, 
sending him to his knees. Gran’pa, however much the blow 
hurt, never uttered a groan, and as he struggled dizzily to his 
feet he tried to ward off the blows that old Jingles showered 
upon him. 

Part of the blows Gran’pa received on his left arm, the 
others slid harmlessly off his cane. 

Gran’pa backed away from the Magician and his face was 
worried, for the blow upon his head had made Gran’pa weak in 
the knees. 

But although he dodged and gave ground Gran’pa waited 
for an opening and at last, as the Magician missed a swing at 
Gran’pa’s head, Gran’pa drew his cane back over his shoulder 
and brought it down with all his might upon old Jingles’ crown. 

The blow was of such force it would have broken the 
Magician’s head if the cane had not split in two, and as it was 
the wicked man staggered from the blow. 

Gran’pa, with but the handle of his cane in his hand, 
jumped forward to strike again, but he missed his footing and 
went rolling down the stone steps. 

When Gran’pa fell in front of the Magician, the Princess, 
Janey and Mrs. Tiptoe started running. 

“ Run for your lives ! ” cried the Princess. “ He will change 
all of us into animals ! Run ! ” 


[144] 



Catching his long nose in her hands 
she gave it a tweak, (page 145) 





GRAN’MA TWEAKS OLD JINGLES’ NOSE 


" 1 1 ===»♦• 

The Magician staggered after Gran’pa who had rolled 
clear to the bottom of the long flight of steps. The Magician 
in his anger did not see Johnny or the Chief of Detectives, who 
still sat in a daze part of the way down the steps, so as he 
passed them, Johnny stuck his foot out and tripped up the 
Magician. 

Down the long flight of steps the Magician fell, his long 
arms and legs hitting the steps and his crooked stick flying high 
in the air as he turned over and over. 

Johnny, though still dazed, got to his feet and started down 
the steps, hoping he could get the Magician’s crooked stick. 

The Magician rolled to the bottom of the steps and he 
found Gran’ma there to meet him; for as soon as the others 
had started to run, they had released Gran’ma. 

So Gran’ma waited until old Jingles had stopped rolling, 
then she rushed at him, and, catching his long nose in her hands, 
she gave it a tweak. 

With one scream of pain, the Magician lay still, and as 
Johnny raised the crooked stick to bring it down upon Jingles’ 
head, Gran’ma stopped him. 

“I said I’d tweak his nose,” Gran’ma cried, “and I’ll tweak 
it again just as soon as he awakens!” 

Gran’pa sat up and looked around. 

“Give me another sack of peanuts,” he said. 

The Magician showed signs of awakening, so Gran’ma gave 
his long nose another tweak which made him lie still. 

[ 145 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


-• 

The Princess called to the people still standing around the 
door of the Castle. 

“Call the Guards! ” she shouted. “We’ll tie him and keep 
him chained up for ever!” 

The voice of their Princess seemed to arouse the people from 
their numbness and fear and eight Guards came running out 
from behind the great doors where they had hidden themselves. 

When the Guards came to pick up the Magician to carry 
him away Gran’ma pushed them back. 

“No you don’t!” she told them. “He stays right here 
while I tweak his nose until he never has another speck of magic 
in him!” 

And as the Magician stirred again, Gran’ma gave his long 
nose another hard tweek. 

“But Gran’ma,” Janey cried, “the Princess must be obeyed! 
She wants the wicked creature put in chains and in prison ! ” 

“Now, you let me be ! ” Gran’ma said. “I’m boss here and 
here he stays until I — ” 

Just as this moment the Dancing Master rushed down the 
steps and blew a puff from the magic bellows upon the face of 
old Jingles. It first formed a puffy white cloud, then it settled 
grain by grain. There was a breathless silence. 

Gran’ma did not finish what she was about to say, for as 
the magic powder touched the Magician’s face, his long nose 
disappeared, his wicked eyes changed and his face took on the 
appearance of a young man. And as they all watched in won- 

[1461 


GRAN’MA TWEAKS OLD JINGLES’ NOSE 


der and amazement they saw his long, thin fingers change into 
young hands, and the thin form beneath the torn, dusty clothes 
alter until a fine young man lay before them. 

The Dancing Master blew another puff of the powder upon 
the prostrate form and the old torn clothes changed into silk 
and velvet. 

“Dear me!” Gran’ma cried. “Perhaps we have made a 
mistake! It isn’t old Jingles!” 

And when the Strange Young Man opened his eyes and 
saw the crowd standing around him, he ran his hand across 
his forehead as if trying to recollect something. 

“Where am I?” he asked. 

“You are in the City of Nite,” answered the Princess. 
“Guards, assist him into the Castle!” 

“I believe I can walk,” said the Strange Young Man, “but 
I cannot imagine how I got here, for I have never heard of the 
City of Nite before.” And with this he stood upon his feet. 

“This is indeed strange,” said the Princess. “Let us all 
go into the Castle.” And as the people drew aside to let them 
pass, the Princess, Mrs. Tiptoe, Gran’ma and Janey went up 
the §teps, followed by the Strange Young Man, the Tiptoe 
Brothers, Gran’pa and Johnny. 

“My name is David,” the Strange Young Man said, when 
all had taken chairs in the Princess’ drawing room and he saw 
that they looked to him for an explanation, “ and my home is 
in Dayland, or at least,” he continued, “it used to be there.” 

[ 147 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


“Dayland is on the other side of the Moon!” said the 
Princess. “My father and mother and I visited there once!” 

“If Dayland is on the other side of the Moon,” said David, 
“this must be the Land Back of the Moon.” 

“It is,” the Princess replied. “If you looked through the 
Moon you would see it. It’s the Magical Land of Noom.” 

“How strange that I should be here!” and David passed 
his hand over his forehead in a puzzled manner. “I faintly 
remember strange rhymes and jingles of which I dreamed.” 

“You did not dream them,” Gran’ma hastened to explain. 
“You were old Jingles the Magician until a few moments 
ago, then Mr. Tiptoe puffed the magic powder on you and 
changed you back to your own self.” 

“Dear me,” sighed David. “If this is true tell me how 
long I have been in this strange shape, for I speak truly when I 
tell you that I am really at a loss to account for the cruel and 
wicked things which I must have done while I was not myself.” 

“ You first came to the City of Nite as a witch and said you 
were the Princess,” the Chief of Detectives told him. 

“But you will remember,” the Princess said, turning to the 
Chief of Detectives, “ that I met him first as Old Jingles, when 
I saw the Queer Horse who had eaten his head off, and that was 
over eighty years ago.” 

“Dear me,” David sighed. “Then there is no telling how 
long I have been old Jingles or the Witch. I’m awfully sorry,” 
he told the Princess. “I wouldn’t have harmed you for the 
world.” 


[148] 


GRAN’MA TWEAKS OLD JINGLES’ NOSE 


“Isn’t it just like a fairy tale!” Janey cried. 

“Perhaps it is,” David smiled, “but it seems 
like a disagreeable dream to me and until I get 
back to my own country, I really cannot explain 
how it all came about.” 

“What is the last thing you remember 1 ?” 
Johnny asked. 

“Let me see! We were having a great ball 
or something at the Castle and I had just stepped 
outside the door to look at the Sun when — when 
— well, that is the last thing I can recall, except 
the queer dreams about rhymes and jingles.” 

“You don’t remember what you did with 
our Flying Boat, do you?” Johnny asked. 

“No, I can not recall a Flying 
Boat, at all,” David answered. 



£ 149 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


„Hg== ■' — L " . ■= &*• 

“That was the only way we had of returning to the Earth,” 
Gran’ma said, a little sadly, “and I feel that we should return 
as soon as we can.” 

When Gran’pa had told him of the children’s Flying Boat 
and how he had made one to follow the children to the Moon, 
David said, “Perhaps you could make another and so return 
to the Earth! Perhaps you could take me to my home in it, 
first.” 

Gran’pa asked the Princess if he could build another Flying 
Boat and although the Princess wished them to stay at the 
Castle with her always, she realized that they must be as 
anxious to return to the Earth as she had been to return to the 
City of Nite. So the Princess sent word to the Royal Carpen- 
ter to bring boards and nails to the Castle roof and there 
Gran’pa superintended the building of the new Flying Boat. 

While this was being built, the Princess took her friends to 
visit her father and mother, with whom they spent two happy 
weeks, seeing the sights and having dances and dinners given 
in their honor. 

When they returned to the City of Nite, the Flying Boat 
had been completed and stood upon the Castle roof all ready to 
sail. It was a sturdy, beautifully built machine — quite the 
nicest one that has ever been made. 

There were tears in the eyes of the Princess and Mrs. Tiptoe 
as David, Gran’ma, Gran’pa and the children took their seats 
in the boat. 


[150] 


GRAN'MA TWEAKS OLD JINGLES’ NOSE 


“Good-bye! Good-bye!” they cried. “Do not forget 
that we shall be most happy to have you visit us again ! ” And 
the Princess gave Gran’ma, Gran’pa, Janey and Johnny each 
a beautiful ring in which was set a wonderful Moonstone. 



Then when she had kissed them all good-bye again Gran’pa 
turned the little knob marked “Start” and the new Flying 
Boat rose slowly from the roof of the Castle and sailed away. 

The Princess and the people of Nite watched the Flying 
Boat until it was out of sight, and then the Princess and Mrs. 
Tiptoe and the Tiptoe Brothers went into the Castle. 

“I wished for them to stay,” said the Princess. “Didn’t 
you love them all 4 ?” 

“Indeed I did,” Mrs. Tiptoe answered as she wiped her 
eyes. “They were all so kind and unselfish.” 

[ 151 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


“It is nice to know and love them,” said Mr. Tiptoe, “and 
while I know they had many unpleasant experiences in the 
Magical Land of Noom, I am so glad they came.” 

“Yes,” replied the Princess, “we owe all our present happi- 
ness to them and I hope they will come again to visit us soon.” 

“Let’s all write a long letter and send it to them,” the 
Chief of Detectives suggested. 

“How?” the others inquired. 

“Let us write the letter, then address it care of the Earth 
and puff the magic powder upon it. They will be sure to 
receive it!” 

“That is an excellent idea!” the Princess cried joyfully. 
“We will start it right away.” 

So they all set to work on the letter, so as to send it off at 
once. 



1152] 


CHAPTER XIII 


Everybody Goes Home 

W HEN the Flying Boat was out of sight of the City 
of Nite, Gran’pa pressed the speed button and the 
new craft shot through the air like a comet, passing 
over the mountains and valleys in a flash. In a very few 
moments it had covered a distance that had taken the travelers 
long hours to walk. 

The new Flying Boat whizzed around the bend in the Moon 
and flew over the side which is always turned towards the 
Earth. 

“This must be the Dayland in which you live!” Gran’pa 
said to David. 


[ 163 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 

-MB — - ■■■■■■" 

“ It is ! ” David answered. “ See, there is the Earth ! ” 

By shading their eyes from the Sun, Gran’ma, Gran’pa 
and the children could see a blue-green Star winking and blink- 
ing in the sky and could faintly make out the shape of the land 
and the oceans upon its surface. 

As they sped along above the Moon, they watched the won- 
derful changes in coloring below them. They saw many cities 
and villages and looked into enormous craters of extinct vol- 
canoes. 

At last they saw in the distance a city of white with won- 
derful steeples and towers on the great building standing in 
the center. It was a regular fairy book castle with glistening 
windows and hanging gardens. 

“There it is!” David shouted. “Guide the Flying Boat 
to the balcony at the right of the Palace!” And as Gran’pa 
brought the Flying Boat to rest as directed, many people rushed 
out of the Palace, and knelt before David. “Our King has 
returned !” they shouted. “ Long live the King ! ” And they 
all came and kissed his hand. 

When David saw Gran’ma and Gran’pa and Janey and 
Johnny looking at him in astonishment he put his arms around 
them and helped them from the boat. 

“We did not know you were a King! ” exclaimed Janey. 

The King laughed for the first time and it was such a 
cheery, pleasant laugh they almost forgot that he was a King 
and Gran’ma gave his hand a squeeze. 

[ 154 ] 



'There it is!” David shouted. “Guide the Flying Boat to 
the balcony at the right of the Palace!” (page 154) 





EVERYBODY GOES HOME 


+< *=- ■ -- ' - ^ ' ■ - U N- 

As the King led them inside the Palace all the bells in the 
city began chiming. “You must at least stay and have dinner 
with me,” he said. 

The King wished them to stay until he had learned how 
he came to change characters, but as soon as they had finished 
dinner, Gran’ma said they must leave. 

“If I can discover just what happened when I walked out 
to look at the Sun,” the King laughed as he said good-bye, “I 
will write to you and try to find a way to get the letter into 
your hands.” 

“It seems as if you could make a little Flying Boat and 
put the letter in it and send it to us,” Johnny said. 

“Then you can expect to hear from me,” the King replied, 
as he waved good-bye to them. 

Gran’ma and the children took a nap while Gran’pa guided 
the Flying Boat 
and when he 
them, the new 
in the back yard 
door at Gran’pa’ s 

“Well,” said 
jumped out of the 
of the Princess 
and beautiful 
Palace was mag- 
little old home is 



on its return trip 
finally awakened 
Flying Boat stood 
near the kitchen 
home. 

Gran’ma as she 
boat, “the Castle 
was comfortable 
and King David’s 
nificent, but our 
the best of all!” 


[ 155 ] 


THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM 


— ■ - ■■■■■=-■ “ =g»*« 

“Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home!” 
Gran’pa sang as he helped Janey from the boat. 

“I hope the moths haven’t got in the carpets!” Gran’ma 
said, as she opened the back door. 



[156] 



EVERYBODY GOES HOME 


= — -•■■■■ ■ t B M- 

Johnny ran to the chicken shed and came back with six or 
seven eggs. 

Janey helped Gran’ma set the table and Gran’pa built the 
kitchen fire. Then Gran’pa went to the smoke-house and 
brought in a large ham. 

“ We’ll have some good old ham and eggs!” he said. 

Gran’ma made the fluffiest biscuits she had ever baked and 
they sat down to a breakfast which they all enjoyed more than 
they had ever enjoyed a breakfast before. 

“Now that we are back home again, doesn’t it all seem far 
away and strange, like a fairy tale one has read a long time 
ago?” Gran’ma suggested. 

“Yes, and like a real fairy tale, it has turned out very 
happily,” Gran’pa smiled. 

“I wonder if we shall ever hear from the Princess or from 
the King,” Johnny said. 

“Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the King should marry the 
beautiful Princess, just as all pretty fairy tales end?” mused 
Gran’ma. 


THE END 


[ 157 ] 








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